Santa Fe Weather
Winter Newsletter 2009
Taking in Santa Fe's Winter Sun
Winter is value season in Santa Fe. All of the city's historic charm, varied attractions, and timeless appeal are in place even as lodging is at its lowest cost of the year and visitors have the city to themselves. Whether skiing in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains just outside of town, exploring the city's diverse shopping and art districts, or taking time out to be with the one you love, Santa Fe remains true to its reputation for sophisticated relaxation. The adobe architecture warms with the sun, the Plaza fills with the smell of cooking chile, and all of Santa Fe's legendary allure is wrapped in sunny days and cozy nights-the makings for a perfect winter getaway.
Setting the mood for a romantic escape comes naturally to this small, 400 year old town. The city is filled with pampering accommodations, nurturing spas, and perfect tables for two. Santa Fe's intimate scale embraces every couple and walking is the best way to get around town or to soak up the snow-covered mountain vistas. On a day when storms roll down from the Rockies, it can't get any better than curling up next to a kiva fireplace.
Find some time for yourself this winter and let Santa Fe help you get in touch with your inner, relaxed, self. Look for lodging specials and everything that's going on in town at www.santafe.org.
New for 2009: In a town where change has come slowly over the centuries, Santa Fe has seen several major projects take shape in the last year.
- The Santa Fe Railyard opened its 50 acres of parks, paths, shops, and galleries in the fall. The project has energized all of the Guadalupe Street area and offers visitors a new town center to discover.
- The New Mexico Rail Runner Express began providing train service to Santa Fe from the Albuquerque area in mid-December, making travel between towns easy and affordable.
- The Santa Fe Plaza has been given a makeover in anticipation of the city's 400th Anniversary. Kickoff events for the are scheduled for later in '09.
- Many of the city's hotels have completed remodeling projects, additions, and renovations in the last year.
- The Santa Fe Community Convention Center opened in the fall and includes the new Santa Fe Community Gallery featuring works by Santa Fe artists, a central box office for events all over the city, a large visitors center for travelers information, and a state of the art, environmentally responsible meeting facility.
Winter Events: For the coming months Santa Fe's calendar is full of music, food, art, and seasonal cheer for everyone in search of a winter escape. Here is some of what is planned.
The Holidays
December 21: The New Mexico Museum of Art holds its annual Open House with a performance by the legendary Gustave Baumann Marionettes beginning at 1 PM. Also at 1:00 is a Winter Solstice Labyrinth Walk on Milner Plaza at Museum Hill. The Santa Fe Desert Chorale performs a Hanukkah Celebration at Temple Beth Shalom at 3:00 PM and The Santa Fe Baroque Ensemble celebrates the holidays with two performances at the Loretto Chapel at 6 and 8 PM on the 21st through the 24th. www.desertchorale.org , http://www.santafepromusica.com.
December 22: An annual holiday favorite, "A Merry New Mexico Christmas," concert performed by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale takes place at the Cristo Rey Church at 7:00 PM.
December 21 - 31: The Santa Fe Southern Railroad' offers a variety of special daily-except 12/25-Holiday trains, some perfect for kids and others more suited for adults. www.thetraininsantafe.com/
December 24: The Plaza in Santa Fe is lit with 1,000 farolitos and traditional Christmas lights, refreshments are served, and a procession to the Cross of the Martyrs is held, all beginning at 5:00.
December 24: A Classical Christmas Eve with performances of Beethoven, Sibelius, Schumann, and others takes place at the Lensic Performing Arts Center beginning at 5:00. www.ticketssantafe.org
2009 Winter Events in Santa Fe
January 1: Pueblo Dances at most of the Pueblos surrounding Santa Fe celebrate community and tradition. santafe.org/What_s_happening-Now
January 17-18: Santa Fe Men's Camerata 10th Annual Winter Concert. Music by Grieg, Britten, Foster, and others. santafemenscamerata.com
January 31: Santa Fe Souper Bowl XV - a fundraiser for The Food Depot featuring the best soups from the city's finest restaurants. Santa Fe Community Convention Center. www.thefooddepot.org.
February 4: Russian National Ballet: Giselle. Lensic Performing Arts Center. www.ticketssantafe.com
February 4: Russian National Ballet: Cinderella. Lensic Performing Arts Center. www.ticketssantafe.com
February 10: Susan Tedeschi. Lensic Performing Arts Center. www.ticketssantafe.com/
February 20-22: The 12th Annual ArtFeast celebrates art, fine food, and more including a fashion luncheon, a home tour of 8 outstanding Santa Fe residences showcasing art supplied by Santa Fe gallerists, a Brunch & Auction, and the always popular Edible Art Tour on Friday evening as 30 of the city's finest Canyon Road and Downtown art galleries pair up with some of Santa Fe's best chefs who present their art-inspired foods. www.artfeast.com
February 25: The Carolina Chocolate Drops - a young, African-American stringband performing fiddle and banjo music from Carolina's Piedmont. Gig Performance Space. www.gigsantafe.com
March 6: California Guitar Trio at the James A. Little Theater. www.ticketssantafe.com/
March 7: A talk by Gloria Steinem as part of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum's "Women of Distinction" series. www.ticketssantafe.com
March 10: The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra performing works by Ginka, Shostakovich, and Tchaikovsky. www.santafetickets.com
Ski Santa Fe is open for the season with 67 runs and terrain for the first time skier or snowboarder and the most seasoned expert. Located, 16 miles from the heart of the city, and over 3,000 feet higher, the area covers 660 acres. The Chipmunk Corner children's ski center has a new lift for this season and provides instruction for kids from ages 3 to 11 and daycare for kids from 3 months to 3 years. Check www.skisantafe.com for conditions.
Santa Fe, City of Museums
There is always something of interest to be found at Santa Fe's museums. Shows this winter include:
Museum of International Folk Art: Multiple Visions: A Common Bond - The museum's remarkable Girard Foundation Collection includes toys, traditional arts, village scenes, textiles, and popular art pieces from more than 100 countries displayed at eye level for visitors from 2 to 102. One of the country's most remarkable folk art collections. www.internationalfolkart.org/
SITE Santa Fe: Lucky Number Seven - The museum's Seventh Biennial Exhibition continues through January 4, 2009, followed by Pretty is as Pretty Does, a group exhibition organized by Phillips Director Laura Steward Heon, which takes its inspiration from this phrase and features work that suffuse base content in otherworldly beauty. Opening on February 14, 2009. www.sitesantafe.org/
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: Georgia O'Keeffe and the Camera: The Art of Identity - Georgia O'Keeffe captivated the art world with her iconic paintings, and she had an equally powerful pull on leading photographers of her day, including her husband, Alfred Stieglitz as well as Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter, Laura Gilpin, Irving Penn and Andy Warhol. Through paintings, architectural studies and photographs, the exhibit explores how the camera helped shape O'Keefe's artistic reputation and celebrity. Through February 1, 2009. Followed by Modernists in New Mexico: Works from a Private Collector. Featuring works by modernists painters of the Georgia O'Keeffe era and beyond, opening February 13, 2009. www.okeeffemuseum.org/
Institute of American Indian Art Museum: Fritz Scholder: An Intimate Look - Works selected from Scholder's personal archives and those that he kept for himself including self-portraits, vampire pictures, Egyptian works, landscapes, mystery women, major sculptures, and his final pieces. www.iaia.edu/museum/
New Mexico Museum of Art: Gustave Baumann: A Santa Fe Legend and Georgia O'Keeffe's Legacy in New Mexico are 2 current exhibits showing the work of two of New Mexico's most well-known artists. Three landscapes from O'Keeffe and a selection of Baumann's woodcut prints, paintings, marionettes, and furniture are featured. www.mfasantafe.org/
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture: Comic Art Indigéne - This exhibit explores how storytelling through comics and comic-inspired art expresses the contemporary Native American experience. Examples of rock art, ledger art and ceramics link early Native American narrative art forms to 20th-century comic strips and comic books. This early work is paired with contemporary Native American work to reveal new ways in which native artists are working with comic art to express life in the 21st century. www.indianartsandculture.org/
Museum of Spanish Colonial Art: Home to the most comprehensive compilation of Spanish Colonial art of its kind, the museum has 3,000 objects in its collections including work that spans centuries in art, place, and time. Combined, the collections represent the artistic history and ongoing evolution of Hispao culture in New Mexico and establishes its important place within the global arts landscape. www.spanishcolonial.org/
Palace of the Governors: Through the Lens: Creating Santa Fe
This exhibit, honoring Santa Fe's 400th anniversary, celebrates the many photographers who have focused their lenses on Santa Fe, contributing to a visual record of Santa Fe history and adding to Santa Fe's world-famous mystique. While the works reveal that acclaimed photographers across the decades have captured Santa Fe on film from many fascinating viewpoints, they also illustrate just how powerful a pull Santa Fe has exerted on the imaginations of photographers. www.palaceofthegovernors.org
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian: From the Railroad to Route 66: The Native American Curio Trade in New Mexico
When the railroad began serving New Mexico in 1880, it brought a steady stream of tourists eager to purchase an array of items invented purely for them by Pueblo and Navajo artisans collaborating with non-Indian dealers. Thus did the curio trade begin, expanding to include a network of cottage industries, retail venues and a booming mail order business that all had far-reaching consequences into the 20th century. This exhibit examines the artists and their artifacts, as well as the innovations and traditions that contributed to New Mexico's complex and controversial curio trade. www.wheelwright.org
For more about Santa Fe during the winter or any season and to receive a free 2009 Santa Fe Visitors Guide contact the Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau; scenter@santafe.org , 800-777-2489.
Winter is value season in Santa Fe. All of the city's historic charm, varied attractions, and timeless appeal are in place even as lodging is at its lowest cost of the year and visitors have the city to themselves. Whether skiing in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains just outside of town, exploring the city's diverse shopping and art districts, or taking time out to be with the one you love, Santa Fe remains true to its reputation for sophisticated relaxation. The adobe architecture warms with the sun, the Plaza fills with the smell of cooking chile, and all of Santa Fe's legendary allure is wrapped in sunny days and cozy nights-the makings for a perfect winter getaway.
Setting the mood for a romantic escape comes naturally to this small, 400 year old town. The city is filled with pampering accommodations, nurturing spas, and perfect tables for two. Santa Fe's intimate scale embraces every couple and walking is the best way to get around town or to soak up the snow-covered mountain vistas. On a day when storms roll down from the Rockies, it can't get any better than curling up next to a kiva fireplace.
Find some time for yourself this winter and let Santa Fe help you get in touch with your inner, relaxed, self. Look for lodging specials and everything that's going on in town at www.santafe.org.
New for 2009: In a town where change has come slowly over the centuries, Santa Fe has seen several major projects take shape in the last year.
- The Santa Fe Railyard opened its 50 acres of parks, paths, shops, and galleries in the fall. The project has energized all of the Guadalupe Street area and offers visitors a new town center to discover.
- The New Mexico Rail Runner Express began providing train service to Santa Fe from the Albuquerque area in mid-December, making travel between towns easy and affordable.
- The Santa Fe Plaza has been given a makeover in anticipation of the city's 400th Anniversary. Kickoff events for the are scheduled for later in '09.
- Many of the city's hotels have completed remodeling projects, additions, and renovations in the last year.
- The Santa Fe Community Convention Center opened in the fall and includes the new Santa Fe Community Gallery featuring works by Santa Fe artists, a central box office for events all over the city, a large visitors center for travelers information, and a state of the art, environmentally responsible meeting facility.
Winter Events: For the coming months Santa Fe's calendar is full of music, food, art, and seasonal cheer for everyone in search of a winter escape. Here is some of what is planned.
The Holidays
December 21: The New Mexico Museum of Art holds its annual Open House with a performance by the legendary Gustave Baumann Marionettes beginning at 1 PM. Also at 1:00 is a Winter Solstice Labyrinth Walk on Milner Plaza at Museum Hill. The Santa Fe Desert Chorale performs a Hanukkah Celebration at Temple Beth Shalom at 3:00 PM and The Santa Fe Baroque Ensemble celebrates the holidays with two performances at the Loretto Chapel at 6 and 8 PM on the 21st through the 24th. www.desertchorale.org , http://www.santafepromusica.com.
December 22: An annual holiday favorite, "A Merry New Mexico Christmas," concert performed by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale takes place at the Cristo Rey Church at 7:00 PM.
December 21 - 31: The Santa Fe Southern Railroad' offers a variety of special daily-except 12/25-Holiday trains, some perfect for kids and others more suited for adults. www.thetraininsantafe.com/
December 24: The Plaza in Santa Fe is lit with 1,000 farolitos and traditional Christmas lights, refreshments are served, and a procession to the Cross of the Martyrs is held, all beginning at 5:00.
December 24: A Classical Christmas Eve with performances of Beethoven, Sibelius, Schumann, and others takes place at the Lensic Performing Arts Center beginning at 5:00. www.ticketssantafe.org
2009 Winter Events in Santa Fe
January 1: Pueblo Dances at most of the Pueblos surrounding Santa Fe celebrate community and tradition. santafe.org/What_s_happening-Now
January 17-18: Santa Fe Men's Camerata 10th Annual Winter Concert. Music by Grieg, Britten, Foster, and others. santafemenscamerata.com
January 31: Santa Fe Souper Bowl XV - a fundraiser for The Food Depot featuring the best soups from the city's finest restaurants. Santa Fe Community Convention Center. www.thefooddepot.org.
February 4: Russian National Ballet: Giselle. Lensic Performing Arts Center. www.ticketssantafe.com
February 4: Russian National Ballet: Cinderella. Lensic Performing Arts Center. www.ticketssantafe.com
February 10: Susan Tedeschi. Lensic Performing Arts Center. www.ticketssantafe.com/
February 20-22: The 12th Annual ArtFeast celebrates art, fine food, and more including a fashion luncheon, a home tour of 8 outstanding Santa Fe residences showcasing art supplied by Santa Fe gallerists, a Brunch & Auction, and the always popular Edible Art Tour on Friday evening as 30 of the city's finest Canyon Road and Downtown art galleries pair up with some of Santa Fe's best chefs who present their art-inspired foods. www.artfeast.com
February 25: The Carolina Chocolate Drops - a young, African-American stringband performing fiddle and banjo music from Carolina's Piedmont. Gig Performance Space. www.gigsantafe.com
March 6: California Guitar Trio at the James A. Little Theater. www.ticketssantafe.com/
March 7: A talk by Gloria Steinem as part of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum's "Women of Distinction" series. www.ticketssantafe.com
March 10: The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra performing works by Ginka, Shostakovich, and Tchaikovsky. www.santafetickets.com
Ski Santa Fe is open for the season with 67 runs and terrain for the first time skier or snowboarder and the most seasoned expert. Located, 16 miles from the heart of the city, and over 3,000 feet higher, the area covers 660 acres. The Chipmunk Corner children's ski center has a new lift for this season and provides instruction for kids from ages 3 to 11 and daycare for kids from 3 months to 3 years. Check www.skisantafe.com for conditions.
Santa Fe, City of Museums
There is always something of interest to be found at Santa Fe's museums. Shows this winter include:
Museum of International Folk Art: Multiple Visions: A Common Bond - The museum's remarkable Girard Foundation Collection includes toys, traditional arts, village scenes, textiles, and popular art pieces from more than 100 countries displayed at eye level for visitors from 2 to 102. One of the country's most remarkable folk art collections. www.internationalfolkart.org/
SITE Santa Fe: Lucky Number Seven - The museum's Seventh Biennial Exhibition continues through January 4, 2009, followed by Pretty is as Pretty Does, a group exhibition organized by Phillips Director Laura Steward Heon, which takes its inspiration from this phrase and features work that suffuse base content in otherworldly beauty. Opening on February 14, 2009. www.sitesantafe.org/
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: Georgia O'Keeffe and the Camera: The Art of Identity - Georgia O'Keeffe captivated the art world with her iconic paintings, and she had an equally powerful pull on leading photographers of her day, including her husband, Alfred Stieglitz as well as Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter, Laura Gilpin, Irving Penn and Andy Warhol. Through paintings, architectural studies and photographs, the exhibit explores how the camera helped shape O'Keefe's artistic reputation and celebrity. Through February 1, 2009. Followed by Modernists in New Mexico: Works from a Private Collector. Featuring works by modernists painters of the Georgia O'Keeffe era and beyond, opening February 13, 2009. www.okeeffemuseum.org/
Institute of American Indian Art Museum: Fritz Scholder: An Intimate Look - Works selected from Scholder's personal archives and those that he kept for himself including self-portraits, vampire pictures, Egyptian works, landscapes, mystery women, major sculptures, and his final pieces. www.iaia.edu/museum/
New Mexico Museum of Art: Gustave Baumann: A Santa Fe Legend and Georgia O'Keeffe's Legacy in New Mexico are 2 current exhibits showing the work of two of New Mexico's most well-known artists. Three landscapes from O'Keeffe and a selection of Baumann's woodcut prints, paintings, marionettes, and furniture are featured. www.mfasantafe.org/
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture: Comic Art Indigéne - This exhibit explores how storytelling through comics and comic-inspired art expresses the contemporary Native American experience. Examples of rock art, ledger art and ceramics link early Native American narrative art forms to 20th-century comic strips and comic books. This early work is paired with contemporary Native American work to reveal new ways in which native artists are working with comic art to express life in the 21st century. www.indianartsandculture.org/
Museum of Spanish Colonial Art: Home to the most comprehensive compilation of Spanish Colonial art of its kind, the museum has 3,000 objects in its collections including work that spans centuries in art, place, and time. Combined, the collections represent the artistic history and ongoing evolution of Hispao culture in New Mexico and establishes its important place within the global arts landscape. www.spanishcolonial.org/
Palace of the Governors: Through the Lens: Creating Santa Fe
This exhibit, honoring Santa Fe's 400th anniversary, celebrates the many photographers who have focused their lenses on Santa Fe, contributing to a visual record of Santa Fe history and adding to Santa Fe's world-famous mystique. While the works reveal that acclaimed photographers across the decades have captured Santa Fe on film from many fascinating viewpoints, they also illustrate just how powerful a pull Santa Fe has exerted on the imaginations of photographers. www.palaceofthegovernors.org
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian: From the Railroad to Route 66: The Native American Curio Trade in New Mexico
When the railroad began serving New Mexico in 1880, it brought a steady stream of tourists eager to purchase an array of items invented purely for them by Pueblo and Navajo artisans collaborating with non-Indian dealers. Thus did the curio trade begin, expanding to include a network of cottage industries, retail venues and a booming mail order business that all had far-reaching consequences into the 20th century. This exhibit examines the artists and their artifacts, as well as the innovations and traditions that contributed to New Mexico's complex and controversial curio trade. www.wheelwright.org
For more about Santa Fe during the winter or any season and to receive a free 2009 Santa Fe Visitors Guide contact the Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau; scenter@santafe.org , 800-777-2489.