Curated curiosities on the Plaza
By Olivia Lewis
Two Graces has found a new home at 135 North Plaza in historic downtown Taos, but longtime fans know its roots run deep. For more than 20 years, owners Robert Cafazzo and Holly Sievers have transformed their shop into a curated trove of vintage Hopi Kachina dolls, Santos (retablos and bultos), Spanish Colonial furniture, rare books, and centuries-old curiosities.
For the last 20 years, Robert Cafazzo and Holly Sievers have transformed Two Graces into a curated treasure trove. This summer, the gallery found a new home just north of Taos Plaza.
“We tend to live with an item in our home until it’s time for it to go to the store, the store is an extension of our collections, the things we love,” Cafazzo says. “Most everything we bring into the shop has lived with us for a while because it’s all very special to us. While we live with items we also take the time to research more information about these objects.”
Two Graces gallery, a shop rife with rare books, local artwork and centuries-old curiosities, found a new home this summer just north of Taos Plaza.
The couple began Two Graces in 2003 at the Ranchos de Taos Plaza, later moving to Barela Lane. When rent pressures forced another change, they considered going fully online but ultimately chose to remain near what Cafazzo calls the “heart of Taos.” Their new 1,200-square-foot location — more than double the size of their previous shop — offers room for a dedicated gallery. “One of our neighbors brought us flowers, all of our new neighbors have been overwhelmingly supportive.” Cafazzo says. “We feel really blessed.”
Treasures With Stories
Two Graces is filled with objects that feel lived-in and loved. Among the rarest items are the retablos of Northern New Mexico — Catholic devotional images painted on wood. “They’re old, from the 1700s,” Cafazzo says. “They’re rare and desirable, truly unique regional folk art. When you see collections of lots of them together, it’s amazing.” Retablos can cost thousands due to their rarity and desirability, they complete the look of a ‘Southwest-style’ home.
Koshare Kachina dolls
The collection closest to Cafazzo’s heart is that of the antique and vintage Hopi Kachina dolls. Two Graces houses a range of these carvings, some with headdresses, others simple brown-earth-colored ‘mudhead’ Kachinas. “I like when a doll has wear to it,” he says, pointing to one with paint rubbed away. “You can see this has been played with, where a little kid held it tight. That’s how you know somebody loved it and you can feel that love.”
Cafazzo is meticulous about research, dating items by materials and provenance — a cottonwood root carving helped him identify an 1889 piece, while a Fred Harvey label tied another to the 1920s. “Collectors want to know when something was made, and I give them a range of 20 years,” he says. “I’m also big on letting people know when something’s a fake. If you respect the work, you have to be honest.” Collecting, he emphasizes, isn’t about money but respect.
Two Graces’ co-owner Robert Cafazzo
He also restores wooden objects such as santo carvings, WPA furniture, and Kachina dolls, skills he learned from others who were willing to teach him.
“You’re always on the lookout, if you have a good eye for stuff, you’re going to find something good,” Cafazzo says. “It works better to buy things you love.”
A Book Lover’s Haven
Books remain central to Two Graces. The gallery stocks out-of-print gems such as Taos Mosaic: A Portrait of a New Mexican Village by Claire Morrill and works by Frank Waters and Mabel Dodge Luhan. Cafazzo often sells volumes from his personal collection at prices friendlier than online listings.
Two Graces, a shop rife with rare books, local artwork and centuries-old curiosities, found a new home this summer just north of Taos Plaza.
“When we first started 22 years ago, I was told not to do books,” he says. “Books are one of our favorite things to have. People love to see books, Taos really needed a bookstore back on the plaza.”
Now that Two Graces has room for presenting art there will be ever revolving exhibitions of historic Taos artworks and the works of Cafazzo and Sievers.
A hand-carved Papua New Guinean figure
More than a shop, Two Graces is a space for discovery. “We are striving to create vignettes and moments with special pieces in groupings and arrangements that will draw people in.”
Visitors are encouraged to linger, leaf through books, and hold history in their hands. Cafazzo and Sievers take turns at the counter, curating not just collections but connections. “Unless you’re sharing knowledge, it’s secret knowledge, which is going to get forgotten,” Cafazzo says. “If I share it with people, maybe they’ll remember and pass it on.”
Two Graces
135 North Plaza, Taos
Open daily, 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
575-770-5580
twograces.com