One piece of art to see
by Davison Packard Koenig, executive director and curator
If I were to choose just one piece of art to experience, I would recommend Mark Maggiori’s painting “Buffalo Dancer” in the Lunder Research Center. During Mark’s 2020 artist-in-residency here in the Sharp studio, he was introduced to the Couse archives. This includes the 11,000 original contact prints that the artist E. I. Couse produced in his lifetime, which were being digitized. Inspired by this treasure trove of historic photos, largely never before seen, he began a series of portraits of Taos Pueblo models. Mark’s panting of Antonio Lujan, stares back at us through time with such intensity and power, proud of his past and assured of his future, it is a must see.
It could not be more fitting for us to open The Lunder Research Center with this series. Mark’s artwork is a compelling example of why archives matter. We built an archive and research center for early Taos art so that artists, scholars, and the public can be inspired. The legacy of the Taos Society of Artists, in many ways, rests with this new generation of artists.
This piece will be on display until Jan. 8, 2022 at Couse-Sharp Historic Site.
Tours by appointment: Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 575-751-0369.