Taos Art Museum facts for kids

The Taos Art Museum is located in the former house of Russian artist Nicolai Fechin, his wife Alexandra and daughter Eya. The museum's primary aims are to improve awareness of the works and patronage of Taos artists and to nurture local artistic development. With many of the works of the Taos Society of Artists held by museums outside of New Mexico, they intend to "Bring Taos art back to Taos."

Collection

Aside from making art by local artists accessible, the goal of the Taos Art Museum is to nurture the creation and exhibition of works by local artists. The foundation of the museum collection are early 20th-century paintings by the Taos Society of Artists. Nearly all the Taos Society of Arts members and associate members are represented in the museum.

The collection includes approximately 300 paintings, drawings, and prints by the Taos Society of Artists founders and other Taos artists.

History

The Taos Art Museum opened in 1994. After the death of Nicolai and Alexandra Fechin, Eya Fechin inherited the house and founded the art museum in her father's memory. In 2002, after her death, the house passed to Eya's daughter and son-in-law who sold it to a foundation.

Upon acquiring the Fechin property, the foundation renovated the house and studio, landscape the grounds, installed security and track lighting systems, treated the windows to eliminate harmful ultra-violet rays, and restored the building. Recognizing that much of the artwork of Taos artists was displayed in museums outside of Taos, the museum adopted the slogan "Bring Taos art back to Taos."

The house was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 1979.