ICfAD invites you to participate in a Cultural Immersion Experience immediately following our 61st Annual Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Taos, where traditions run deep

Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 18, 2025
Registration for this experience is part of the conference registration form | Printable Flyer

Taos, one of the longest continuously inhabited regions in the country, has a long history of art, with native artists creating remarkable works long before European settlers arrived. In 1893, painter Joseph Henry Sharp visited and was captivated by its striking landscapes and rich cultural traditions. The Taos Society of Artists, formed in 1915, transformed the northern New Mexico village into a world-renowned art colony.

Join colleagues in the arts in high education as we explore Taos and its long-standing legacy as a truly tri-cultural community with a free exchange of traditions that enrich our collective heritage.

Our motorcoach will depart the conference hotel at 8am on Friday, returning at 4pm the next day. The $1,250 registration fee for this cultural immersion experience includes:

• entrance fees and guide gratuities for each of the venues and tours;
• motorcoach transportation;
• a knowledgeable guide who will accompany us for two days;
• overnight accommodations at El Monte Sagrado Resort Friday night and at La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe Saturday night;
• luggage storage at La Fonda on the Plaza while we are away – remember to pack a smaller overnight bag;
• meals: breakfast at the conference hotel Friday morning pre-departure; lunch as a group at The Gorge Bar and Grill in Taos; breakfast at El Monte Sagrado Resort Saturday morning; box lunch Saturday afternoon

Our cultural immersion experience will include:

As we enjoy our autumn color-filled drive along the stunning High Road to Taos, our first stop will be Chimayó. There, we will spend a few minutes touring El Sanctuario de Chimayó. We will have coffee as we see weavers ply their ancient craft at Ortega’s Weaving Shop, sharing its nine generations of authentic New Mexico history.

The Taos Pueblo, made entirely of Adobe -- earth mixed with water and straw, then either poured into forms or made into sun dried bricks. Approximately 150 people live within the Pueblo full time. Other families live in summer homes near their fields, and in more modern homes outside the old walls but still within Pueblo land. There are more than 1900 Taos Indians living on Taos Pueblo lands.

The Taos Plaza: this lovely Plaza with its shaded central courtyard is the living, breathing heart and soul of the old Spanish settlement in the Taos Valley. It has always served a vibrant purpose -- from its early days as a fortified shelter by night and a marketplace by day to the center of commerce for the community in the early to middle part of the 20th century. You will have free time to explore its many colorful shops, galleries and restaurants. Around the Plaza, you'll find even more unique shopping -- from fine and wearable art to kitchen specialties and home furnishings with that unforgettable Taos style.

The Crouse-Sharp Historic Site: This testament to the town’s rich artistic heritage and its influence on American art was once home to two founding members of the Taos Society of Artists, and offers visitors an immersive journey into the past, where art, culture, and history converge. The site also houses the Lunder Research Center, the only dedicated research facility for the study of the Taos Society of Artists and early Taos art. This invaluable resource is available to researchers by appointment, further enriching our understanding of this pivotal movement in American art history.

Millicent Rogers Museum: named for the art patron who settled Taos in 1947, this museum contains the core of one of America's foremost Southwestern arts and design collections. It has grown to include traditional and contemporary Hispanic religious and domestic arts, pottery paintings, photography and graphics, plus a wide range of arts and crafts from the many cultures of northern New Mexico.

Rio Grande Gorge and Bridge: This bridge is the second highest cantilever bridge in the United States, towering 650’ above the river. The bridge has viewing areas on both sides, and participants will be invited to walk across the bridge if they choose to do so. The view from the center of the bridge is not for those with a fear of heights, but it is one of the most spectacular sights to be found anywhere.

Greater World Earthship Biotecture Tour: an Earthship is a radically sustainable home made of recycled materials. Earthships create electricity from the sun and wind, collect water from rain and snow melt (and use it four times!), manage sewage in botanical planter treatment sites, generate cooling from the sun and the earth and even grow food for their owners both inside and outside. Our tour guide’s goal will be to give guests a solid understanding of how these homes are built with unconventional techniques and how our concepts make it possible to be comfortable year round while living 100 percent off grid in a self-sustaining home.