You might call it a collection of collections.

Wind up hill from the old plaza in the center of Santa Fe on the historic Santa Fe Trail, and you will arrive at a priceless array of art, housed in four museums, on what is called Museum Hill. On the way, you might stop at a fifth charming institution, the School for Advanced Research, but as its name implies, it focuses more on research than on displays of art. Tours are limited to Friday. Check the web site for times. It started with the Indian Arts Research Center first founded in 1922. The buildings and grounds, however, form an historic tie to Museum Hill, your ultimate destination.

The house and gardens here (and the pet dogs buried on the grounds) belonged to two sisters who moved to Santa Fe in the 1930s and plunged into the movement to protect American Indian art from disappearing. Amelia and Martha Wright built their home in the Santa Fe style, collected art and held lavish parties. Their wealth contributed to the foundation of a school to collect and study American Indian Art.

In 1927, John D. Rockefeller became interested in the Indian art of Santa Fe, and he invested in an anthroopology/archaeology school, the Laboratory of Anthropology. In 1947 the Lab merged with the Museum of New Mexico and thirty years later, the state funded the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, in order that there might be a place to showcase some of the wonders that had been collected during archaeological field work.

The investments of the Rockefellers, Whites and others ultimately brought some major museums to the location on Museum Hill.

Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and Laboratory of Anthropology

Unless you are doing research, you will not visit the Laboratory of Anthropology, which occupies a charming pueblo-style building along one side of a plaza. It houses a library and archives and work rooms for anthropologists. However, everyone will enjoy a visit to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture with its overwhelming collections of all sorts of American Indian art.

When Charnell Havens and I were researching the life of Quincy Tahoma, the Lab became our home away from home. We uncovered many interesting facts about his life and the life of Santa Fe as we explored their library and the archives. When it came time to choose paintings to include in the book, Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist, we obtained permission to reproduce several that are owned ty the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.

Wheelwright Museum

The founder of the Wheelwright Museum was another of the benefactors of Indian art who moved to New Mexico from the East in the 1920s. Mary Wheelwright, wanted to preserve the religion of the Navajos, and worked with a Navajo singer (medicine man) to record songs and have people paint copies of the ceremonial sand paintings, as well as collect objects related to the religion. However, as it turned out, the Navajo culture and religion had more staying power than their non-Indian protectors thought, and reasserting their ownership of their own beliefs, the museum returned ceremonial objects to the Navajo in 1977. The museum no longer specializes in religion, but still exhibits a wide array of Indian art from the 1850's through contemporary art.

Museum of Spanish Colonial Art

Santa Fe was founded as a 17th century Spanish outpost by soldiers and friars coming up from Mexico on the Santa Fe Trail which winds past Museum Hill. The Spanish influence remains strong in northern New Mexico, and the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art celebrates the many forms of Spanish art.

Well known western writer, Mary Austin formed the Spanish Colonial Society in the mid 1920's (yet another of the Easterners drawn to New Mexico and intent on preserving their ancient cultures.) The Organization holds Spanish Markets twice yearly, in case you want to start your own collection.

Museum of International Folk Art

A colorful and exciting experience waits at the Museum of International Folk Art, that carries crafts and art from around the world. We particularly enjoyed an amazing exhibit of toys, miniatures and fabrics from 100 countries. Any time you go, I can just about guarantee that you will find things you have never laid eyes on before, since this is the world's largest museum of folk art. This museum has a variety of activities for children, who will be absorbing some geography and culture without even realizing they are being educated!

peru, 1960-1990. folk art of the andes exhibit at the museum of international folk art, santa fe, nm. Courtesy Flickr Creative Commons flickr.com/photos/calamity_hane/5598808010/

The Museums are easy to get to, with or without a car (see their websites), and while you are there, you can take a break at the Museum Hill Cafe with its gourmet sandwiches and salads and a beautiful view through floor to ceiling windows.

Vera Marie Badertscher is a Freelance Writer who blogs about books and movies that inspire travel at A Traveler's Library, and is our Travelers Library Editor. She is co-author with Charnell Havens of Quincy Tahoma: Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist, which was published in April 2011. You can follow the biographer's journey at the Tahoma Blog.

Feature photo: 

The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture ahead and the Laboratory of Anthropology on the right.