The Wright Contemporary is a gallery in Taos, NM, dedicated to the artists of northern New Mexico.

Named for the Santa Fe-based artist and benefactor Ira Wright, the gallery plans ten to twelve shows per year, curated by art journalist and director Ann Landi and artist Michelle Cooke. Our debut show was “Explosive Abstraction,” which closed on August 8.  Next on the agenda was “Taos Draws!,” a round-up of draftsmen (and women) from the area in the main galleries, with the Project Space dedicated to prints by Lauren Dana Smith. “New Geometries,” a smashing round-up of abstract painters in the area, closed on November 23, and from December 2 to January 15, we will be showing “Photography in B&W.”

The Wright Office serves as another auxiliary space, at the moment featuring prints from TJ Mabrey, color photos by Jan Sessler, Dana Chodzko’s eloquent hands in plaster and wax, and a special installation from Matt Thomas.

Complementing the exhibitions is a roster of lectures and programs. In the past few months, Gwen Chanzit, curator emerita of the Denver Art Museum, gave an illustrated lecture on the origins of abstraction, while Jason Andrew, from Artist Estate Management LLC, spoke to a full house about getting your affairs in order before you travel to that great studio in the sky (a video of this talk is available on YouTube).  An “Evening with Larry Bell,” also on YouTube, investigated the myriad aspects of the artist’s long and stellar career) and during the Taos Fall Arts Festival, Marcie Begleiter was on hand to screen her landmark documentary Eva Hesse, with a discussion about the making of the film afterward. Recent events included the first of a two-part panel on art and the law (what you need to know about contracts, for instance). On December 4, the Wright will host a conversation with Lauren Tresp about the growth of Southwest Contemporary, and on December 17 we have an evening with Louis Grachos, director of SITE Santa Fe about the history and future of SSF.

Be sure to enter your email address on the Contact page of the site, so you can stay up to speed on shows and events.

The Wright Contemporary is located at 627 Paseo del Pueblo Sur in Taos, New Mexico. It’s on the main route leading to the downtown historic district, with ample parking around the gallery. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 2 to 6 p.m.