Fine Arts & Performing Arts

Much of the art, architecture, and music of the area is rooted in our three principal cultures - Native American, Hispanic and Anglo - with strong ties to the natural environment. Fine arts, music, theater, dance, and museums all flourish within the state's metropolitan core and the surrounding rural regions. Throughout the year residents and visitors can enjoy everything from permanent exhibits to one-time exhibitions or performances.

Art is everywhere! You don't have to look far to find it. Santa Fe was ranked No.2 for small cities and Albuquerque was ranked No. 6 for big cities in American Style Magazine's 2011 Top 25 Arts Destinations. Santa Fe boasts 250 art galleries, 12 museums and 16 performing arts groups, while Albuquerque has over 40 art galleries, 20 museums and 30 performing arts groups. All of the metropolitan communities host year-round events including arts and crafts fairs, studio tours, and 'arts crawls.'

Fine Arts and Performing Arts Resources

Albuquerque Art Museum

• Albuquerque Museum - Community art and history museum.
• Albuquerque Poetry Slam – An online source for Albuquerque poetry slam events and competitions.
• Albuquerque Public Art Program – Website with photos, interactive map, information on local art events, businesses and initiatives.
• Art Santa Fe – International contemporary art fair.
• Collectors Guide to Art in New Mexico - Links to Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos, and central/south NM art and community directories.
• Duke City Shootout – Known as “the original script to screen filmmaking competition.” Participants must shoot their movie or music video in a week.
• Explora Science Center – A fun, interactive science center. The museum has an adult night.
• Georgia O'Keeffe Museum - Exhibits, programs, shop, press coverage, about painter Georgia O'Keeffe.
• Guild Cinema - An art house cinema housing just a couple films at a time.
• Hard Rock Casino Albuquerque Presents the Pavilion - State of the art concert venue.
• Harwood Arts Center - A former boarding school now housing artist studios and gallery spaces. They host a number of artist events featuring local artists, writers and musicians.
• KiMo Theater – This Art Deco styled theater is a national landmark and still hosting live performances.
• The Lensic – Santa Fe’s Performing Arts Center. The historic theatre in Santa Fe opened in 1931 as the finest theater in the Southwest. It was temporarily closed and transformed in 1999 into a world class 821-seat venue that hosts chamber music, theater, modern dance and more.
• Museum of New Mexico - Summary of New Mexico museums, links to their sites and to state monuments. More than 23 buildings house a vast array of collections.
• Museum of International Folk Art – A wonderful display of international folk art.
• Museum of Spanish Colonial Art – Focused on Hispano art forms produced in New Mexico and southern Colorado.
• Musical Theatre Southwest – Promoting musical theatre in Albuquerque.
• National Museum of Nuclear Science History – A great museum for the science lover, located near Kitland Airforce Base.
• National Dance Institute of New Mexico - Teaching children excellence through dance.  At the historic Hiland Theater. 
• New Mexico Ballet Company – The state’s oldest ballet company.
• New Mexico Creates (Museum of New Mexico Foundation) - Supporting the Museum of New Mexico to preserve and enhance New Mexico’s unique cultural resources through fundraising, collaboration, advocacy, and other services.
• New Mexico Jazz Workshop – A non-profit dedicated to promote jazz education and performance.
• New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science - Known for its spectacular science displays, including fossils from ancient dinosaurs that once inhabited New Mexico. Its Lodestar Astronomy Center features the state-of-the-art Star Theater planetarium.
• New Mexico Philharmonic– New Mexico's symphony orchestra.
• The Outpost - Non-Profit, Member-Supported, Community-Based Performing Arts Center.
• Page One Bookstore – Albuquerque’s largest independent bookstore.
• Popejoy Hall - Large concert hall at UNM.
• Palace of the Governors - Oldest government building in the U.S., in use before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, now a historical museum in Santa Fe. Collections, events, contacts.
• Pimentel and Sons Guitar Makers – World-renowned guitar makers offer products and classes.
• Santa Ana Star Center - Multi-purpose center seats 6,500, features 26 luxury suites, 500 club seats, a VIP lounge, a club lounge and four club suites.
• Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival – Annual ensemble music festival since the early 1970’s.
• Santa Fe Film Festival – An annual, 5-day festival with screenings, workshops, art exhibitions and youth programs.
• Santa Fe Opera - Famous summer opera theater.
• Santa Fe Playhouse - Oldest continuously running theatre west of the Mississippi, offering opportunities to new playwrights and first-time performers.
• The Southwest Film Center – The UNM campus’ film theatre showing a range of student produced work as well as short and alternative films.
• Southwest Writers Workshop – A non-profit geared towards writing education.
• Taos Toolbox - A two-week graduate workshop for science fiction and fantasy writers.
• Thirsty Ear Festival – Annual summer music festival featuring blues, folk, bluegrass, alt-country, roots rock & world music. Other activities include camping, kids' activities, dance lessons, local micro-brews and wines, local food, arts & crafts & more.
• Tingley Coliseum - The 11,775-seat, indoor venue, with three recently constructed amphitheaters, have put Metro New Mexico on the booking lists for large concert tours.
• Tinkertown Museum – A quirky folk museum, which was once the home of Ross Ward, who was quoted as saying, "I did all this while you were watching T.V." East side of the Sandias.
• University of New Mexico Art Museum – Displaying a varied collection of student and professional work.
• Vortex Theatre – Showing classic, contemporary and cutting-edge theatre by local and national playwrights.