About Santa Fe

The Spanish Colonial Arts Society collections were initiated in 1928. Today with 3,000 objects, the collections are the most comprehensive compilation of Spanish Colonial art of their kind. Dating from the Middle Ages to the New Millennium, the collections span centuries in art, place and time. Among the various media featured are santos (painted and sculpted images of saints,) textiles, tinwork, silverwork, goldwork, ironwork, straw appliqué, ceramics, furniture, books and more. All combined, the collections represent the artistic history and ongoing evolution of Hispano culture in New Mexico while firmly establishing its important place within the global arts landscape.

The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art is the only museum in the country dedicated to exhibiting and interpreting the art of the Spanish colonial period including Hispanic New Mexico. The Museum houses an incredible collection of over 3700 pieces, including historically significant and contemporary works. The building itself, a Pueblo Revival-style building, was designed by renowned architect John Gaw Meem in 1930. Meem and his wife were early supporters of the Society and donated hundreds of items to the collection. The building provides an intimate, homelike setting where visitors from around the world can view the collections and learn the fascinating history of Spanish colonial art worldwide.

The Museum offers an array of exhibits for all ages. "La Casa Delgado" or "The Delgado Room" recreates the quarters of Second In Command officer Manuel Delgado. Each item in the room was mentioned in his will, with all the details to let you step back into time, more than 400 years ago.

In the “Costume Corner,” children may don replicas of traditional Spanish Colonial and other local historical outfits typical for the peak of the Spanish Colonial era. Many more salons take you through time and across continents to paint the rich story of the arrival and evolution of the Spanish Colonial Arts in New Mexico.

Rotating exhibits, including national traveling shows insure you will always encounter something nuevo at the Museum.

Be sure to visit Tesoros, the Museum Shop for a rare opportunity to see affordable original work by our Spanish Market artists year round as well as other creative items with a local flavor or preview a selection of items now online.