Art at the Roundhouse
The best Santa Fe gallery is the capitol
Welcome to Postcards from New Mexico!
Two Sundays a month I share beauty, stories, and culture from this region that has been my home since 2008.
One of the best places to see art in Santa Fe isn’t a museum or gallery, it’s the state capitol building lovingly known as “the Roundhouse.” Dedicated in 1966, the Roundhouse is a blend of Pueblo, Territorial, and Greek revival architecture. It’s the only round capitol building in the United States. The focal point of the building is the majestic rotunda, illuminated by a skylight designed to evoke weave patterns from Native baskets, and featuring a New Mexico Travertine marble floor decorated with the Zia symbol. In fact the entire building was designed to evoke the Zia symbol: a circular sun with linear rays extending in four directions.
The building is beautiful enough on its own to merit a visit, but few people know that the Roundhouse is also home to one of the best art collections in the state—more than 400 pieces by New Mexican artists, ranging from traditional Pueblo and Hispanic art to photography, contemporary multimedia pieces, sculpture, and furniture. Some of the more famous artists whose work is featured include Pablita Velarde, R.C. Gorman, and Michael Naranjo.
The collection began quite modestly in 1991 with the acquisition of 14 works of art and 17 art furniture groupings made possible by funds allocated by the state of New Mexico. The Capitol Art Foundation now oversees the collection and continues to bring in wonderful art.
Even though this is clearly a political setting in which to view art, interestingly you won’t see paintings or statues of politicians here. State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino said, “We tried to get permission to put new busts of recent politicians. But the Capitol Art Foundation ... they say, ‘No. We’ve got enough already.’ But it doesn’t really matter that we don’t have that many. I think it’s better. I mean, once you’ve seen one stuffy old man in an ill-fitting suit, you don’t need to see any more.” I couldn’t agree more!
One of my favorite pieces, by artist Holly Hughes of Socorro, is a larger-than-life-sized buffalo head created from recycled materials: bicycle tires, magnetic tape, film, newspapers, paintbrushes, wire, and quilting appliqué. You can find it on the floor above the rotunda.
The Roundhouse is surprisingly hassle-free to enter. Until just a couple of years ago, you could walk right in without any screening process (which always made me a bit nervous); now you have to walk through a metal detector and do a quick bag check with the friendly state police officers on duty. (They really are the friendliest law enforcement officers I’ve ever encountered.) But all that is no big deal, and then you are free to wander the hallways and take in this great collection of art on all four floors, as well as the walkway that leads to the Annex.
Make sure to also walk around outside the building to appreciate the sculptures, including “Where Friends Meet” by Allan Houser (Chiricahua Apache).
For another local perspective, I highly recommend reading The Roundhouse by Jim Watley, author of the Substack newsletter . Jim’s beautiful photo of the rotunda graces the top of this post. Thank you, Jim!
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IF YOU GO / INSIDER TIPS…
The capitol building is located at 490 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe. There’s free parking for visitors in the large public lot across from the east entrance to the capitol.
The Roundhouse is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays for self-guided tours. It’s also open on Saturdays between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Check out this detailed Guide to the Art and Artists of the New Mexico State Capitol from the Santa Fe New Mexican, the city paper. It’s also possible to book a free guided tour if you call 505-986-4589 in advance.
If you happen to be in Santa Fe in January and February, you might just walk into the Roundhouse when the annual legislative session is happening. This is the one time of year when state senators and representatives come together to review and vote on bills. It’s an exciting time with a flurry of activity going on. You can still view the capitol’s art collection, but you may also be treated to some fiery speeches in the rotunda and get a chance to meet community organizations at tables set up around the building. It’s a fun chance to see democracy in action!
You can even get a bite to eat in the Roundhouse at the Capitol Cafe, open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 2 pm. Their food is actually really good — try the hand-held breakfast burrito to eat like the locals do.