The Best Way to Get to Know Santa Fe Is Through Its Art — See the City Through a Local Potter's Eyes

Native American traditional potter Thomas Tenorio takes T+L on a tour of his hometown.

Thomas Tenorio makes pottery in the traditional way, the hard way: by hand and with nature woven into everything he does. It’s that attention to detail and unity with his surroundings that make artists like Tenorio so synonymous with where they work.

In Santa Fe, Tenorio’s work speaks to the city. Appreciating it — and works by other local artists like him — is one of the best ways to get to know the area.

“Back in the '50s, '40s, almost every other household was making pottery at that time. There’s not too many left,” Tenorio told Travel + Leisure in our latest Locals episode. “I promised my tribe before I shall leave this Earth that I’m going to teach it back. It's going to be my legacy, I guess.”

He added: “Pottery has been around here for thousands of years. I want people to know that we're still here, we're not gone. We're not extinct.”

Now, visitors to Santa Fe can immerse themselves in the city through its art, viewing traditional pieces in places from museums to galleries, like the Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery gallery, which sells handmade and hand-painted Native American pottery in the city’s Plaza district. There, travelers can spot Tenorio’s work along with pieces dating all the way back to the 1880s.

“My main feeling when I started this business was to be proactive about the fact that there are so many people who know so little about the Native American communities and what they create,” gallery owner Andrea Fisher told T+L.

Her son, Derek Fisher, added the art tends to reflect the city it is in.

“Santa Fe is vibrant. It’s always been kind of a ragtag community of artists, but all of them all seem to find beauty in the area that is around them,” he said. “And then that translates into a very vibrant art culture.”

For Tenorio, making art is about more than just the craft itself; it’s a “way of life,” down to the water he sources from a small village.

“Nature has to do with everything … I do,” he said. “The clay, the paint, even the weather — it binds everything together, nature itself.”

More Ways to See Indigenous Art in Santa Fe

Tour a Museum

Santa Fe has three main museums in which travelers can view indigenous art: the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, and the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. At the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, visitors will experience everything from prehistory through contemporary art; at the Wheelwright Museum, visitors will see jewelry, metalwork, carving, basketry, folk art, and textiles of the Navajo and other Native peoples of New Mexico; and at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, visitors will find progressive work of contemporary Native artists on display.

Exploring the gift shops at each museum is also a great place to find Native American art, especially locally made jewelry.

Head to a Gallery

Visitors can pop into galleries across the city to see local art, both old and new. In the True West Gallery, travelers will find everything from Native American and Southwestern jewelry to pottery, weavings, and more. At the Sorrel Sky Gallery, which is owned by the daughter of a well-known Native American jeweler, visitors will find everything from jewelry to fine art. And at Shiprock Santa Fe, visitors will find a bright and modern display of both historic and contemporary Navajo rugs and blankets, Native American jewelry, pottery, and more.

Shop Directly From Local Artists

The Native American Artisans Portal Program welcomes local artists to sell their handmade crafts every day from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. under the portal of the Palace of the Governors. With a few exceptions, the vendors are members of the 23 federally recognized Native American tribes, pueblos, or nations located in New Mexico. In all, more than 1,500 artists are authorized to participate and the items displayed are constantly changing.

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