Santa Fe, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, NM (2)
It is a beautiful Sunday morning at the Plaza in Santa Fe. Suddenly the bells from the St Francis Cathedral ring. An incredible shivering sensation goes through my body. My enjoyment of hearing their sound is so pure. Like a magnet, I am pulled in their direction. Unfortunately, a mass is in progress, so I don’t go in. I am informed that there is a Christmas music concert with bells and flutes later in the afternoon. Well that is a must I don’t want to miss, so I am changing my plans accordingly.
Being present in this beautiful church is magical and adding the sounds of bells and flutes (one of my favorite instruments) is beyond magical. The highlight was hearing the song ‘Jingle Bells’ played with different size bells.
I spent the other half of the day in Canyon Road Arts District, going in and out of the galleries. I greatly enjoyed looking at how other artists create art with different mediums and how they reflect their vision on a canvas.
I know the weather will bring snow to Santa Fe tomorrow, so I plan my day to be indoors.
This morning I’m visiting the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. This is the first time I have immersed myself in her work. From the first painting on display (Bella Donna), I fall deeply in love with the woman, her spirit, and above all, her artwork. I spend over an hour with an audio guide in my ear, going from painting to painting, letting it all sink in and take me on a beautiful journey.
I was hoping to visit the museum of Indian Arts and Culture, but unfortunately it is closed on Monday. However, I hope to find the time to see it. My other option is a visit to the Railyard Arts District and go to SITE Santa Fe. I miss the entrance to the parking lot, but I’m excited to see a sign to the capitol building, so here I go to explore the capitol building of New Mexico. Did you know it is the only round state capitol in the United States and is known informally as “The Roundhouse”. What I like most about my visit to the capitol is seeing the support for art in which New Mexico State gives to artists. The capitol building is pretty much a huge art gallery. One creation that captures my attention is the “Buffalo” by Holly Hughes. I stood in front of it for a while, and every time, I found a new piece of material that the artist put into this artwork. It is truly spectacular!
When I get to the fourth floor, where the governor’s offices are, I have the privilege of having a wonderful conversation with Amanda and learning about what a great governor they have. I do like that a woman governs the state of New Mexico!
I still want to go and visit the SITE before the snow forces me back to my Airbnb. I am happy I stopped by, because I was taken back by the fantastic movie by Shirin Neshat, “Land of Dreams” and how it is presented.
In the following days, I plan to make two more day trips. One to Ghost Ranch Trail in Abiquiú. It was the home and studio of Georgia O’Keeffe and the subject of many of her paintings. Another day trip is to Chimayo and Taos Pueblo. I hope to get some local hikes as well.
