Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian

The Wheelwright has long been one of our favorite destinations, but recent improvements make it extra special. Beautiful new parking & landscaping – everything looks fresh. A recent construction project is complete, & a new jewelry gallery will open next summer. Will Wilson’s photo exhibit is astonishing & moving. Case Trading Post is the best museum shop in town. Manager Ken Williams is an important Native artist with great connections – the selection is awesome.

Thank you for the weekend story telling — a great evening addition the a museum’s events.

I really liked the museum but I won’t pretend that I left there a little angry.
It pissed me off what early American settlers, government, etc. did to them. And are still doing to them. The exhibit had a lot of relevant information about how they were mistreated. Not like we don’t all already know it.
Anyway, the lady who greeted us was super nice and very helpful. The ladies in the store were helpful as well.
It would have been really nice to see an actual Indian working there but all Caucasians. Sigh.
Indians are very creative people. Those blankets and other things they made way back then were and still are remarkable.
God Bless the Original Americans.

Free entrance. Small museum. In and out in 30 min, and that’s me who likes to read all the signs explaining the art.
A few nice Navajo rugs on display. More historical than beautiful.
Great shop downstairs if you have a few hundred dollars to spend. Beautiful Kachina dolls and silver art pieces. Will definitely need to save up the $$$ and return.

Exceptional museum honoring the craft of Native American artisans. I always walk away inspired. And they have the best museum shop too, stunning silver work, at varied price levels. S
One of the best stops in Santa Fe.
Today’s show was beautifully displayed showing various interpretations of approach to a theme. Necklaces that showed creativity and raw beauty.

I took a taxi alone from downtown Santa Fe on a sunny weekday afternoon. The Wheelwright is a rustic, smaller museum that is off by itself and rather out in the middle of nowhere, but certainly worth the trip. When I was there, the museum was featuring paintings by California Native American (Maidu/​Pitt River) artist Judith Lowry, and I was most impressed with her colorful, symbolic paintings. Her painting «The Funeral Of Frida Kahlo» left an especially deep impression on me (the description of the painting included the spooky true-​life story behind it). I browsed the works for an hour or so before heading downstairs to the old-​school trading post-​style museum shop in the basement, which is also a feast for the senses and not to be missed, packed to the rafters with jewelry, kachinas, photographs, and other nice items in every price range (no touristy, souvenir-​y stuff here).
After looking at the wonderful eye candy inside the museum, I stepped outside to wait for my cab and wandered around the quiet desert grounds awhile. I saw a road runner, some hawks soaring in the sky, a couple of jackrabbits, and a coyote skulking off in the distance, keeping an eye on me. I would definitely come back to the Wheelwright again, and recommend it highly!

In the same complex as the folk art museum. It was very very interesting and well worth the trip.