It hasn’t been ten days since we took the ride to Dixon, New Mexico, for the Dixon Studio Tour https://www.dixonarts.org/. Every year I will find an announcement somewhere about this annual event that’s been going on for thirty-seven years. This year, on our way back from Taos to Santa Fe in mid October we passed the turnoff to the road to Dixon. There were signs reminding travelers that were passing through of the upcoming tour. Turning my head quickly, I looked down the road trying to imagine what this town and it’s people were like. It’ was somewhat of a mystery to me.
What wasn’t a mystery that day was the irruption of oranges, yellows and reds on the ground and on every tree that lined the banks of the Rio Grande River and the highway that hugged the river. So what would be nicer than a ride through country roads on a golden day in Autumn on the Dixon Studio Tour?
Besides, what I love most about New Mexico is what you find beyond the cities. Two weeks after passing the turnoff to Dixon we were on our way back to do the tour. Autumn, which always passes by too quickly, still graced the landscape and sky above. But it was now more understated, not bold, but subtle in color and atmosphere. This was Autumn: air crisp, apples still clinging to trees. Perfect, as what I wanted to see as much as the art, was the place where the art was created.
Our Self Customized Tour
First stop was the town center on either side of the road. This includes a school, a post office, library, a mission church, eateries and homes. Many of the homes are turned into galleries. And many of the galleries showed the work of several artists. The art included ceramics, painting, textiles, jewelry and more. Not only art, but wineries, breweries, farms were on the tour, making a total of 44 stops to fill your day. When it started to get a little too crowded we took off to visit some studios in the surrounding areas.
In Town
Outside of Town
Both Michael and I wanted to see the collage art by Alice Arango and the paintings by her husband, Mickey Hale. Mickey was good enough to take me on a tour of their home which was built in 1830! It had all of the features I love of old adobe homes. Here is a long hallway with Alice’s collages covering the book shelves:
Next stop, one of the main reasons I went to Dixon, is the garlic farm of Stanley Crawford. I read his memoir, A Garlic Testiment (Seasons on a Small New Mexican Farm)
I got to the farm, looking around and minding my own business as I usually do. The writer’s daughter was promising a tour of the home to the woman standing next to me. A wonderful stroke of luck, I thought, and followed them in. The home was wonderful in all the ways that old original adobe homes are wonderful. (Stanley Crawford built the home himself) She pointed out, through the kitchen window, this odd building that I couldn’t take my eyes off when walking in. Her father had built it as his writing studio. He later found it uncomfortable and let young Kate take it as her room and sala of entertainment for teen-age sleep-overs.
Our last stop on the way out was La Chiripada, a winery. They had harvested the vines for the year and the tasting room was full. We spent a fun time trying their wines, in no hurry at this point to start home. The owner, Michelle, told us that they planted their vines in 1971 making The Chiripada the oldest winery in New Mexico. (That’s not counting the Spaniards who brought grapes from Spain over four hundred years ago).
And last, on the road back home, saying farewell to the the Dixon Studio Tour. We decided to make one last stop at a fruit stand, quintessentially New Mexico.
Note: Another artist tour is the High Road To Taos Annual Artist Tour: https://santafeselection.com/annual-events/high-road-studio-tour