Canyon Road features many art studios and workshops

Canyon Road is located in Santa Fe and is the old trade route from Pecos; there are many art studios and workshops located along the road, which are open to the public to attend. The area is rich in history and is part of the cultural center of Santa Fe.

The road has many gracious homes along the winding, shaded streets of the road, and a special quality from the history of small farms that are scattered along the road, which used to be an old Indian trail. Many artists have visited Santa Fe since the 1880s. The natural scenic beauty of the area and the old Spanish villages provided subjects for painting and sculpture. The first artist to reside on the road was Gerald Cassidy who was familiar with the Native people of northern New Mexico; he was a painter of landscapes, Native American genre scenes and portraits of the Natives.

Tours available along the road include visiting the many Spanish and Territorial Era houses. These houses include the house of Rafael and Joseph Garcia who purchased a property in 1848, which was remodeled in the 1950s and the home of Juan Jose Prada, which was built in 1768, then enlarged in the mid-nineteenth century to contain 19 rooms and a courtyard garden.

The Galleries along Canyon Road include galleries featuring Native American Art, Contemporary, Historic, sculpture and gardens. The 19th and 20th Century Galleries include Mark Sublette Medicine Man gallery and Marc Navarro Gallery. Contemporary Representational Art Galleries include Alexandra Stevens and Art Exchange Gallery. Contemporary Abstract and Expressionist Art include Adieb Khadoure and Bellas Artes.

The other types of galleries are Native American Art, Folk and Tribal Art, Contemporary Glass, Ceramic and Fiber Arts, Jewelry, Clothing, Furniture and Interiors, Photography and Books.

Canyon Road has been the art gallery district where artist and art lovers have been visiting in Santa Fe for over a century. There is no other place where visitors will find the cultural richness and artistic scope that is offered at Canyon Road. Santa Fe is the second largest art market with more art galleries than any other city of its size. There are over 100 galleries, studios, specialty shops; restaurants and historic areas, which give a southwestern charm. Tours of Canyon Road are available through many tour operators in New Mexico.