The Painterly Landscapes of Georgia O’Keeffe Country

The area known as O’Keeffe Country is north of Santa Fe at Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch. Georgia O’Keeffe fell under New Mexico’s spell in 1929, when she first visited the state. She was mesmerized by the landscape and the cultural influences, which were so different from the midwest and east coast landscapes where she had spent her life up to that point. Married to renowned art dealer and photographer, Alfred Stieglitz, and based in New York, O’Keeffe spent the following 20 summers in New Mexico, living and working there during those months. She purchased her first home in New Mexico in 1940; Ghost Ranch (which remained her summer home). Then, in 1945, she finally purchased her home in Abiquiu (after trying to buy it for a decade) from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe and spent three years completing a full renovation to the crumbling adobe structure. She treasured her garden at Abiquiu and enjoyed cooking with the many vegetables she grew. When Stieglitz passed away in 1949, O’Keeffe moved to New Mexico permanently, residing in both her homes in Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch until in 1984, when she moved to Santa Fe, where she died in 1986, at the age of 98.

Ghost Ranch

O’Keeffe first visited Ghost Ranch in 1934, and was disappointed to learn it was a dude ranch (visited by some of America’s wealthiest families). She spent a night at a cottage there and fell in love with the place, staying the entire summer and subsequent summers. In 1940, she purchased a 7-acre plot of land and house at Ghost Ranch called Rancho de los Burros. When Ghost Ranch was gifted by its owners to the Presbyterian Church, O’Keeffe retained her privacy on her small parcel of land and continued to spend summers there, painting the mountains, mesas, and vistas she so loved. The Church still owns Ghost Ranch and hosts retreats, workshops, camps, reunions, weddings and much more. There are several hiking trails to enjoy, trail rides and tours, including tours such as the Georgia O’Keeffe Landscape Tour, Walking In O’Keeffe’s Footsteps Tour, and Wednesdays With O’Keeffe Tour, which combines a visit to her home and studio in Abiquiu, lunch in the dining hall and the landscape tour. The ranch is simply stunning, surrounded by striated mountains and rocky landscape. It’s no wonder O’Keeffe was so artistically inspired by this heavenly gift of nature.

Georgia O’Keeffe House & Studio in Abiquiu

The adobe home Georgia O’Keeffe lived in and painted at for 35 years is located in Abiquiu, 53 miles north of Santa Fe. It is one of the most important artistic sites in the southwestern United States. It is truly a highlight to visit this beautiful place, to walk through her home, visit her studio, and see her beloved gardens that grew the food she loved to cook with. Of this home, O’Keeffe wrote in 1945, “It’s the most wonderful place you can imagine… It’s so beautiful there. It’s ridiculous.”

Note: Open March through November. Advance tickets are required

Click here for information on home studio tour. in Abiquiu.

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