by Elizabeth Cunningham
This period marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Taos Society of Artists. On July 15, 1915 Ernest Blumenschein, Bert Geer Phillips, Eanger Irving Couse, Oscar Berninghaus, Joseph Henry Sharp and William Herbert “Buck” Dunton created the Taos Society of Artists (TSA). The organization had several goals, among them to develop a high standard of art and, through exhibitions, to bring their art before the public. From 1917 through 1926 audiences in New York, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Denver, Los Angeles and other cities throughout the U. S. saw paintings by the TSA.
Mabel saw their paintings while she was living in New York. They made a lasting impression. After residing in Taos for forty years, she wrote and published Taos and Its Artists. This was the first book to appear on these early Taos artists and the moderns who followed. Interestingly enough, Mabel devoted as much attention to women artists as she did men. She introduced the book with members of the Taos Society of Artists. Mabel credited and wrote about Phillips and Blumenschein, who landed in Taos due to a broken wagon wheel in 1898, as the first arrivals in what became the Taos art colony.
Blumenschein with the broken wheel, September 1898. Photo by Phillips. Credit: Taos Historic Museums.
Brief biographies followed on the remaining four charter members and later TSA members. Of them Mabel wrote:
These were the pioneers. And each of these responded nobly, lovingly, and with reverent wonder to the pristine landscape, for from the beginning and all down through the years, its appeal has been to the loftiest perceptions in men.
For the remainder of this week, “Celebrating the Centuries of Taos” features presentations on July 15th in recognition of the Centennial of founding of the Taos Society of Artists. The celebration continues with a nod to the literature and culture of Taos on July 16th, and ends with the Fiestas, Pecha Kucha Night and a parade featuring the reconstruction of the Taos Society of Artists 1939 float with the “Broken Wheel.”
(see July 9-19 2015 celebrate Taos art calendar )
The six founding members of the Taos Society of Artists in Virginia Walker Couse’s garden, 1915 (L-R, E.L. Blumenschein, O.E. Berninghaus, E.I. Couse, J.H. Sharp, B.G. Phillips, and W.H. Dunton) Photo credit: The Couse-Sharp Historic Site, Taos, NM
With our knowledge of Blumenschein – I co-authored In Contemporary Rhythm: The Art of Ernest Blumenschein (U of OK Press, 2008), and my husband, Skip Miller, contributed two essays to this award-winning book – Skip and I will represent this charter member of the Taos Society of Artists. I’ll be presenting a Powerpoint overview of his paintings on July 15th; Skip will portray Blumy in the parade on July 19th.
As with Mabel, who honored the spectrum of artists living in Taos in 1947, nearly seventy years later we join many arts supporters in celebrating the founders and succeeding generations of artists of Taos.