The Taos Society of Artists was an organization of

visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics (art), ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual a ...

founded in

Taos, New Mexico Taos () is a town in Taos County, New Mexico, Taos County, in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Santa Fe ...

. Established in 1915, it was disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...

, as opposed to a stylistic

collective A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest or work together to achieve a common objective. Collectives can differ from cooperatives in that they are not necessarily focused upon an e ...

, and its foundation contributed to the development of the tiny Taos art colony into an international art center.

Beginning

Joseph Henry Sharp, who made paintings of Native Americans throughout his life, visited Taos on a trip through New Mexico in 1893. While there he became interested in the people of the

Taos Pueblo Taos Pueblo (or Pueblo de Taos) is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos language, Taos-speaking (Tiwa languages, Tiwa) Native American tribe of Puebloan peoples, Puebloan people. It lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico. T ...

and the landscape,James (1920), p. 373 an interest he shared with Ernest Blumenschein when they were studying art in Paris. Having heard of the degree to which Sharp was interested in painting the

western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. As American settlement i ...

, and the Indian

pueblo Pueblo refers to the settlements of the Pueblo peoples, Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, currently in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. The permanent communities, including some of the oldest continually occupied settlement ...

of Taos in particular, Blumenschein came to Taos with fellow artist Bert Phillips in 1898. Planning only to visit Taos, they became so enamored by the Taos Valley and its people that they decided to stay. This was the beginning of the Taos art colony. Blumenschein described his first sights of Taos, "The month was September, and the fertile valley a beautiful sight, and inspiration for those who ply the brush for happiness. The primitive people of this out-of-the-way region were harvesting their crops by sunlight and by moonlight. Brown people they were, both

Mexicans Mexicans () are the citizens and nationals of the Mexico, United Mexican States. The Mexican people have varied origins with the most spoken language being Spanish language, Spanish, but many also speak languages from 68 different Languages o ...

and Indians, happy people with happy children, in a garden spot protected by mountains." Native Americans had lived for centuries in the pueblo just outside the village of Taos. There a peace-loving, democratic society has maintained, and continues to maintain, its history, culture, dress and way of life over centuries.James (1920), pp. 375-376 Ernest Blumenschein returned to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

for a time while Phillips stayed behind. Blumenschein kept up correspondence with Phillips and discussed setting up an artist colony in Taos. Blumenschein also wrote other artists in New York and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

of Taos about the "beauty and artistic promise of

northern New Mexico Northern New Mexico in cultural terms usually refers to the area of heavy-Spanish settlement in the north-central part of New Mexico. However, New Mexico state government also uses the term to mean the northwest and north central, but to exclude ...

." On July 19, 1915 Joseph Henry Sharp, E. Irving Couse,

Oscar E. Berninghaus Oscar Edmund Berninghaus (October 2, 1874 – April 27, 1952) was an American artist and a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists. He is best known for his paintings of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans, New Mexico ...

, W. Herbert Dunton, Ernest Blumenschein, and Bert Phillips formed the Taos Society of Artists. The six founding members were known as the "Taos Six". E. Irving Couse was the Society's first president. Their work defined the first several decades of the Taos art colony, and was distinguished by depictions of Native Americans in traditional clothing, area

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

s and

Anglo-Americans Anglo-Americans are a demographic group in Anglo-America. It typically refers to the predominantly European-descent nations and ethnic groups in the Americas that speak English as a native language, making up the majority of people in the world ...

and landscapes. The group's first exhibition was held at the

Palace of the Governors The Palace of the Governors () is an adobe structure built in the Territorial Style of Pueblo architecture on Palace Avenue in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Located within the Santa Fe Historic District along the Santa Fe Plaza between Lincoln and Wa ...

in Santa Fe soon after their formation. By 1917 they were sending travelling exhibits of their work across the United States. Initial critical reaction of the works was that they were unrealistic and overdone: vivid colors, too emotionally evocative and strong vibrational quality. The artists questioned the critics veracity, since they had never been to the southwestern

desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...

, nor the

.James (1020), pp. 377-378 File:The Historian (The How and Why Library).jpg, E. Irving Couse, ''The Historian,'' 1902 File:WLA brooklynmuseum Lovers Indian Love Song.jpg, E. Irving Couse, ''Lovers (Indian Love Song),'' 1905 File:Blumenschein The Peacemaker.png, Ernest L. Blumenschein, ''The Peacemaker (The Orator),'' 1913, Courtesy of the Anschutz Collection File:Couse contentment.jpg, E. Irving Couse, ''Contentment,'' 1918 File:Couse smokeceremony2.jpg, E. Irving Couse, ''Smoke Ceremony,'' 1919 File:Blumenschein-Star Road and White Sun 1920.jpg, Ernest L. Blumenschein, ''Star Road and White Sun,'' 1920,

Albuquerque Museum of Art and History The Albuquerque Museum, formerly known as the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, is a public art and history museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is located in the Old Town area and is operated by the City of Albuquerque Department of Arts & ...

, New Mexico File:Making Sweet Grass Medicine.jpg, Joseph Henry Sharp, ''Making Sweet Grass Medicine, Blackfoot Ceremony,'' ca. 1920,

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM; formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds one of the world's lar ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

File:Blumenschein Superstition.jpg, Ernest L. Blumenschein, ''Superstition,'' 1921 File:William Herbert Dunton - The horse rustler.jpg,

William Herbert Dunton William Herbert "Buck" Dunton (August 28, 1878 – March 18, 1936) was an American artist and a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists. He is noted for paintings of cowboys, New Mexico, and the American Southwest. Early life and educati ...

, ''The Horse Rustler,'' ca. 1915

Structure and membership

Member artists had to have worked in Taos for three consecutive years, shown an interest and aptitude for painting Native Americans and have shown in reputable galleries or New York salons (ongoing art exhibits). The primary reason for the requirements was to ensure that the artists were well-intentioned and capable of capturing the character and spirit of the people.James (1920), pp. 376-377 Later members included Julius Rolshoven,

E. Martin Hennings Ernest Martin Hennings (February 5, 1886 – May 19, 1956) was an American artist and member of the Taos Society of Artists. Biography E. Martin Hennings was born in Penns Grove, New Jersey on February 5, 1886 to German immigrant parents. Two y ...

, Catharine C. Critcher (the only female member ), Kenneth Adams,

Walter Ufer Walter Ufer (July 22, 1876 – August 2, 1936) was an American artist based in Taos, New Mexico. His most notable work focuses on scenes of Native American life, particularly of the Pueblo Indians. Life and career Ufer was born in Germany ...

, and Victor Higgins. File:Philbrook - Listeners.jpg,

, ''The Listeners'', 1920,

Philbrook Museum Philbrook Museum of Art is an art museum with expansive formal gardens located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The museum, which opened in 1939, is located in a former 1920s villa, "Villa Philbrook", the home of Oklahoma oil pioneer Waite Phillips and his ...

in Tulsa, Oklahoma File:WLA ima Higgins Indian Girl with Parrot and Hoop.jpg, Victor Higgins, ''Indian Girl with Parrot and Hoop,'' ca. 1920,

Indianapolis Museum of Art The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is an encyclopedic art museum located at Newfields, a campus that also houses Lilly House, The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, the Garden at Newfields and more. It is located at the corner of No ...

File:Julius Rolshoven - The Sun, Tesuque Pueblo Indian.jpg, Julius Rolshoven, ''The Sun, Tesuque Pueblo Indian'', 1921

Associate and honorary members

Some artists from Santa Fe, another developing arts center, were included as Associate members:

Robert Henri Robert Henri (; June 24, 1865 – July 12, 1929) was an American painter and teacher. As a young man, he studied in Paris, where he identified strongly with the Impressionists, and determined to lead an even more dramatic revolt against A ...

, Albert L. Groll, Randall Davey, B.J.O. Nordfeldt, Gustave Baumann, Albert Groll,

Birger Sandzén Sven Birger Sandzén (February 5, 1871 – June 22, 1954), known more commonly as Birger Sandzén, was a Swedes, Swedish painter best known for his landscapes. He produced most of his work while working as an art professor at Bethany College ...

, and

John Sloan John French Sloan (August 2, 1871 – September 7, 1951) was an American painter and etcher. He is considered to be one of the founders of the Ashcan school of American art. He was also a member of the group known as The Eight (Ashcan School), T ...

. Honorary memberships were extended to men who helped create a museum infrastructure in New Mexico: Edgar L. Hewett, the director of the Museum of New Mexico; and Frank Springer, whose donations helped to build the Museum of New Mexico’s Fine Arts Museum in Santa Fe.

War work

During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the Taos society artists served on United War Work Committees, designed posters, and exhibited canvases at

Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

bazaars. Most notably they created "range-finder paintings", 50 by 100 foot landscapes of Belgium and France used as military teaching tools. Several of these paintings were exhibited in the 1918 Taos Society of Artists' annual exhibition held at the Museum of New Mexico

Depression

The

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

was the precipitating factor for the dissolution of the Taos Society of Artists. Taos was devastated by the Depression and the artist's

patrons Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

were not spending money on art during that time. Victor Higgins the most financially devastated by the Depression made two of his most important paintings during that time, ''Winter Funeral'' heralded by the New York press, and ''Sleeping Nude'' similarly praised by the Chicago Herald Examiner writer Inez Cunningham Stark. Cunningham likened Higgins to a phoenix rising out of the ashes, "what heights of intellectual and emotional fire. He is one of those fortunate few who continued their career into maturity."

Influence

The "Taos Six" applied academic techniques to Native themes to produce a uniquely American school of painting. Each artist's style was unique, though cross influence can be noted as can elements of their European Academic artistic training. Aside from the inspiration of their environment, one quality early Taos art colony paintings share is their vibrant palette of colors - not a common sight when paired with more traditional representational images and application of paint. Today, these artists are recognized for their contribution to artistic development and their scenes of Taos locales hang on the walls of many museums.Whaley, Bill; Stiny, Andy
"Reconsidering Art in Taos; Bert Phillips"
in ''Taos Horse Fly'', February 17, 2009.

References

Bibliography

External links

Taos Society of Artists: 1915 - 1927
Koshare Indian Museum

bibliography, 1999, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
Taos as an Art Colony: From the Taos Society of Artists to the Present
Taos Unlimited
Taos Pre 1940
Ask Art {{DEFAULTSORT:Taos Society Of Artists American artist groups and collectives Society of Artists, Taos Arts organizations established in 1915 Arts organizations disestablished in the 20th century 1915 establishments in New Mexico 1927 disestablishments in New Mexico Organizations disestablished in 1927