Star Garden Gallery: Art & Adventures under the New Mexico Sky
It all started when… I happened to visit El Morro National Monument in the summer of 2012… I loved the hike up the pink and white sandstone cliff— a hand-pecked trail and steps and staircases carved by the WPA, fading and softened from the weather of many years; it was like walking on top of a melting parfait— and I vowed to return.
I kept returning to the area, and purchased a plot of land about one mile east of El Morro National Monument, with hopes to create a gallery space there someday. I returned a few more times before making the move from Boston, Massachusetts to El Morro, New Mexico in the summer of 2017 so that I could 'visit' more often!
I now live about twelve miles from the park with its spectacular sandstone 'bluff' and unique history of visitors who carved pictographs, names, and dates near the natural pool that provided much needed water while journeying along the Ancient Way. The two-mile loop hike provides wonderful views of the Zuni Mountains, nearby volcanoes, and a partially-excavated pueblo, Atsinna, atop the mesa.
After a year of teaching art at Shiwi Ts’ana Elementary School in Zuni, New Mexico, I decided to take a year to devote to my dream of starting a gallery in El Morro, and the seeds of Star Garden Gallery were planted! I now have a tiny shed/studio on the land, a stone patio, a shaded area with a swing, a few paths that link the land to The Old School Gallery via the neighboring sculpture trail. I am teaching again, so the gallery is open by appointment or by chance, mostly in the summertime.
Be sure to check out Star Garden Gallery’s monthly updates in the blog section of this website.
~Andrea Sparks, August 2021