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Art aficionados, curious travelers, and fans of beautiful sunsets will love this small group tour designed to provide you with an in-depth experience of the rich tapestry of cultural heritage that blooms in New Mexico.

Explore world-renowned museums, galleries, and markets in Santa Fe and beyond accompanied by knowledgeable curators and gallery owners.

Enjoy being surrounded by the same landscapes that inspired the works of iconic artists including Georgia O'Keeffe and Gustave Baumann. Then visit the works. Feel your perspective open in new ways.

From Abiquiu to Taos to Los Alamos to the Chimayó Valley, gain insight into a world of artists, poets, and writers.  As you experience the tranquil beauty that has influenced the unique artistic style of the region, you'll begin to develop a deep sense of the creative soul of New Mexico.

Accompanied by art historian Nancy Green, this program offers an in-depth experience of New Mexico’s artistic and cultural heritage. Nancy’s expertise and passion for the region will enrich your understanding of the interplay between the landscape, culture, and art that defines New Mexico.

“I LOVED this course, learned a lot about art movements I was unfamiliar with, and as well as really enjoying and learning from the instructor, the class participants were also knowledgeable in many different areas and definitely added to the value of the course.” ~CAU Summer participant in Nancy Green's course

Are you interested in traveling with people who are as passionate about lifelong learning as you are? CAU Study Tours are small, inclusive experiences featuring lectures that deepen your experience of a destination. Whether you've been to New Mexico before or not, this tour will broaden your understanding and spark your creativity in the warm company of alumni, family, and friends.

The Inn of The Governors, located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe, will be your abode for the duration of the tour. Authentic, stylish, with a breakfast you will miss after your gone, this boutique property with flower-laden balconies and fireplace rooms is the perfect home base from which you will set out each day. With a gorgeous 86-degree outdoor pool available year round, your tranquil evenings may include a swim under the stars or a visit to one of the iconic nearby spas.

Nancy Green's enduring impact on the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art where she served for many years as the  Gale & Ira Drukier Curator is well known. Now retired, Nancy co-leads CAU Summer's most popular course--an art history survey course that spans decades, traditions, movements, and iconic milestones in a matter of days providing students with a definitive and dazzling grasp on art and culture from 1880 to the Eve of WWII. Known for inspiring her students with her holistic approach that includes bringing music and food relevant to the art she's teaching about into the classroom, Nancy is a natural leader of CAU Study Tours emphasizing immersive experiences. Nancy designed your itinerary to include both the most iconic museums of the region as well as important cultural touch points that will deepen your understanding and appreciation of the region, its people, and the art that grows from the Land of Enchantment, as New Mexico is affectionately called.

Following your independent arrivals in Santa Fe, you may choose to utilize a pre-arranged shuttle service or Uber to make your own way to the Inn of the Governors, (superior rooms) which is about one hour from the Albuquerque airport. Inn of the Governors is located a few steps away from the historic Santa Fe Plaza. The rooms here are rich in color and decorated in a charming southwestern style. Your hotel is renowned for its Mountain Sunrise Breakfast, an abundant spread of southwestern offerings, which you will experience on Day 2!
This evening, meet your fellow travelers at a welcome dinner.

(Meals included: Dinner)

After breakfast, dive into an artistic journey with Nancy Green as she presents a captivating exploration of Georgia O’Keeffe’s life and masterpieces, revealing the vivid landscapes and delicate flowers that define O’Keeffe’s iconic style. Following the presentation, depart for a lovely eight-to-ten minute walk through the historic downtown neighborhood to the O’Keeffe Museum. Lunch is on your own today with an abundance of highly-rated options in walking distance from the O’Keeffe museum, including Café Pasqual’s, known for its expansive menu, gallery of local art, and shop full of festive items. After lunch, meet back at the hotel to board your coach. We’re heading to Santa Fe’s celebrated Museum Hill, home to multiple world -renowned institutions. Today you will experience a guided tour of The Museum of International Folk Art and The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. Museum Hill is also home The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian and The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, as well as the incredible Santa Fe Gardens. You will have time to return to Museum Hill on your own on Day 4. It’s just a 15-minute Uber ride from your hotel.  This evening depart the hotel by bus and drive just outside of Santa Fe for a talk and dinner in the home of Dr. Lois Ellen Frank, a Santa Fe based chef, James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, native foods historian and photographer. Enjoy conversations about the learnings of the day as you travel back to the Inn of the Governors, perhaps for a nightcap on the heated patio of the inn’s own Del Charro—named “Best Hotel Bar” by The Santa Fe Reporter—which is open until midnight.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

After a morning lecture about the artists of Taos by Nancy Green, we’ll set off on a scenic drive (about one hour and forty minutes) along the Rio Grande River on our way to the small high desert city of Taos. We’ll start our exploration of Taos, which is sometimes called the “Soul of the Southwest” because it’s a community made up of different cultures that nurture creative spirits—with a visit to the Taos Art Museum. Next, we’ll head to the Harwood Museum. Enjoy lunch at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House which was home to one of the most successful artistic salon environments in the early 20th century United States. After lunch, we’ll explore the Millicent Rogers Museum and the D. H. Lawrence Ranch. We’ll return to Santa Fe by late afternoon and the balance of the day is yours to enjoy.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch)

This morning, walk to the nearby IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) which holds the premier collection of contemporary Native American art in the world from Native American, First Nations and other Indigenous peoples. Close by is the Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery Gallery where we have arranged for an introduction to Southwest Native American pottery Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery is the premier Native American pottery gallery in the world. After lunch, enjoy free time to revisit the museum collections, browse the shops and galleries, or relax by the pool at Inn of the Governors. This is another evening when you can select from Santa Fe’s diverse dining options. Advance reservations are highly recommended.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch)

This morning, we will head north on a one-hour drive to the O’Keeffe Welcome Center, gateway to the Georgia O’Keeffe Home and Studio Tour at Abiquiu. O’Keeffe’s home in Abiquiú reveals her commitment to design and the aesthetics of her surroundings. Plus, you can peek into her pantry, cupboard, and closet for an inside view of her well-curated personal objects. Enjoy lunch at Café Abiquiu & The Terrace. Schedule permitting, visit Ghost Ranch. Dinner will be at the Rancho de Chimayo restaurant, which was honored as one of New Mexico’s Culinary Treasures in  2014, one of only a handful of restaurants awarded with this wonderful distinction. En route back to Santa Fe, your coach will make a stop so you can marvel at the desert landscape of the night and the star-studded sky above.

(Meals included: B, L, D)

This morning we will stop first at the Railyard Artisan Market which is dedicated to local artisans and small creative businesses. Every Sunday, year-round, it is of New Mexico’s oldest and best-loved art markets. From the market depart for the Puye Cliffs. After lunch, our local Santa Clara Pueblo guide will meet the group and share the history of the ancient living pueblos carved into the side of a rock dating back over one thousand years. The origins of the Puye Cliff Dwellings date back to the 900s when a group of 1,500 Pueblo Indians constructed multiple levels of living spaces in the side of a canyon wall. Concluding our time at the Pueblo, we will take a 20-minute drive to Los Alamos where much of the movie Oppenheimer was based, to visit the Bradbury Science Museum.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch)

After this morning’s last lecture by Nancy Green which will focus on Gustave Baumann, we’ll take a short five-minute walk across the plaza to the New Mexico Art Museum to see some of Baumann’s works in person. The museum is known for its extensive collections of the Taos Society of Artists and Los Cinco Pintores, the five painters who moved to Santa Fe in the 1920s and helped establish the community as a famous art colony. The museum also features an important collection of Georgia O’Keeffe paintings; and American photographers, including the Jane Reese Williams Collection of women photographers. Enjoy free time to revisit your favorite museums or shops this afternoon before joining our farewell dinner this evening.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner)

After breakfast, drive to Albuquerque and enjoy a visit to the NM University Art Museum which houses the largest collection of art in New Mexico with the goal of bringing cutting edge contemporary artists to Albuquerque. Close by, we'll visit the Tamarind Institute, a lithography workshop created in 1960 as a division of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. At the conclusion of our visit to the Tamarind, it’s time to head to the airport. You will arrive by 12:30 p.m. with a provided boxed lunch to sustain you through the day’s travels.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch)

March 25 - April 1, 2025
To reserve your space:
contact CAU partner, Distant Horizons (Pacific Time)
Phone: 562-983-8828 |  Email: emilyw@distant-horizons.com

Download the Brochure

June 17 - 26, 2025
Study Tour featuring Holger Klinck, the John W. Fitzpatrick Director of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics
In partnership with Lindblad Expeditions