Inside Santa Fe’s Art Soul with Kristen Griego of Legends of the West

Santa Fe may be small, but it’s the third-largest art market in the U.S. Bunny sits down with Kristen Griego—native Santa Fean, second-generation gallerist, and owner of Legends of the West Fine Art (202 E Water St.)—to explore why art here feels so personal. 

From representing 30+ artists (including breakout 15-year-old talent Sophie Oldham) to hosting summer Friday Art Walks, Kristen shares how she balances Southwest tradition with fresh contemporary voices. Hear buying tips for first-time collectors, the magic of plein-air painting, and the upcoming shows you won’t want to miss. Whether you’re art-curious or a seasoned collector, this episode will inspire you to discover your own “love-at-first-sight” piece in Santa Fe.

Legends of the West Fine Art: https://legendsofthewestfineart.com/

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Original Music by: Kene Terry

Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00)

This is Bunny Terry with the Real Santa Fe Podcast. And today I'm really excited to welcome somebody who is not only a Santa Fean and has been most of her life. She told me she just moved here when she was five years old, but who's also really actively involved in the art community and who grew up in the art community. And as a lot of people don't know this, but Santa Fe is the third largest art market in the United States. Just behind LA and New York. So speaking to somebody who is as involved in that world as our guest is, is really exciting for me. And ⁓ I know you're gonna find it fun too. So our guest today is Kristen Griego and Kristen is the owner of the Legends of the West Gallery. And we're calling this ⁓ our insight.

inside Santa Fe's art and art soul, not heart and soul, but art soul, legacy, beauty and community. And I'm, so excited to welcome Kristen. Kristen, thank you for being on the podcast.

Speaker 2 (01:16)
Thank you for asking me to be on podcast. so excited.

Speaker 1 (01:20)
So

I met you through Andrea. Yes. It's like Andrea Caldera who was on our podcast previously and who's on my real estate team. It's sort of like the two of you grew up ⁓ in the center of the city. Talk about that. I'm interested to hear that story.

Speaker 2 (01:40)
Yeah, so growing up in Santa Fe, you you don't always appreciate it when you're younger and you don't understand all of the culture and the history and all of the great things it has to offer until you're much older. And so I think it's just wonderful now that I am older and I can appreciate all of that. And so to me, Santa Fe is somewhere that I see myself forever and long-term and

I think it's such a unique place that it's not like anywhere else.

Speaker 1 (02:14)
⁓ that's so true. And in fact, I always say they'll have to take me out of here in a box because I'm not going to go any other way. ⁓ So you went to elementary school or you went to high school here.

Speaker 2 (02:29)
I did. And to elementary school, high school, middle school, everything, college. And I left for about a year during COVID when Santa Fe was a ghost town. then I came back. Yeah, it was.

Speaker 1 (02:45)
So.

Okay, so we have to assume that we have some listeners who are ⁓ Santa fans who are having to live somewhere else. So I'd love for them to hear like, where did you, did you go to Santa Fe High? Where did you go to high school?

Speaker 2 (03:01)
I did, I went to Santa Fe High, yep. And I graduated in 2010 and I immediately went to college after that at UNM. So it took me a few longer years because I was double majoring and also working through college, so.

Speaker 1 (03:21)
Well, everyone's a Lobo, right? Wolf, wolf, wolf, fine. Although I started at New Mexico State and Kristen, it took me ⁓ like 18 years to finish. don't feel bad about, ⁓ and I was working in raising kids. So your mom was a gallery owner before you, right?

Speaker 2 (03:44)
Yeah, so in fact, when we moved to Santa Fe, we moved here because she had connections with a really well-known artist who owned a gallery here. And so we moved to Santa Fe, she started working for him. She never left. she always says she comes with the building. They've been there for about 40 years. Wow. She's still there to this day. So I worked with her through college for about seven years. And that gallery is like a museum. mean,

The best of the best and I learned everything I know from working in there so.

Speaker 1 (04:18)
And what gallery is that?

Speaker 2 (04:20)
It

was formerly Mountain Trails Gallery, now it's Santa Fe Trails Fine Art.

Speaker 1 (04:25)
⁓ wow. We'll have to include a link to that so that people can go in and find your mom and find that gallery. And where is it located?

Speaker 2 (04:36)
So they are 200 old Santa Fe trails actually right across the street from me. So been better. ⁓

Speaker 1 (04:43)
Cool,

cool. So you worked for her for seven years. I mean, this is a, I want people to understand that, mean, you know, there are a lot of people who haven't ever been to Santa Fe before and they probably have this idea that maybe art galleries look like the inside of a Cowboys and Indians magazine. I don't know. I don't know what their perception is, but this is a really diverse,

Art scene, isn't it? ⁓

Speaker 2 (05:15)
Yeah, there's over 200 art galleries in Santa Fe alone. And there is a lot of competition, but there are so many artists from around the world, not just in Santa Fe, that show here. And so there's a very wide variety of different subjects and styles. And, you know, the rule of thumb is no two galleries can really represent the same artists. So it's even that much more special.

Speaker 1 (05:40)
I actually, I ran into somebody, ran into an artist who ⁓ is represented at ⁓ the Warrell Gallery. And I said something to her about a friend of mine who had tried to get into two galleries and she's like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that can't be. I mean, that's just really frowned upon. So when you say there are 200 galleries, I mean, how many artists do you represent?

Speaker 2 (06:09)
represent just a little over 30 different artists from all around the world, mainly New Mexico. ⁓ So it's a big job. You're actually representing these people, not just showing their art, but you're promoting them. You're talking about them in interviews, magazines, having shows for them. So you're really doing, you're wearing multiple hats. And I love it. It's really special. You build great connections with your artists and then of course your clients. So it's a big job.

Speaker 1 (06:40)
Wow, can't, I, so you said you have 30 and if we have 200 galleries, that's a lot of artists.

Speaker 2 (06:48)
Yep. yeah. I mean, my mom's gallery, I think she has over 60 artists. So it's really impressive.

Speaker 1 (06:58)
Those are incredible numbers. And I used to laugh, and I'm sorry, I don't want to make light of this, but I used to, every time I would show a house, somebody would say, well, I've always felt like I was an artist, so I have to have a room with a studio. But it is true that people, ⁓ that there are a lot of incredibly talented people in town, isn't it?

Speaker 2 (07:19)
yes, we get people almost every single day coming in to show us their artwork, emailing us, calling us, and we can't take on everyone, but I really do love to include everybody, not just, of course you want your well-known artists, but I like to give everyone a chance because good art is good art.

Speaker 1 (07:38)
It is, it is. You and I were just talking about ⁓ what I have behind me in this. For those of you who are watching this on YouTube, ⁓ well, wait, for those of you who are just listening, I'm sitting in front of two different pieces and I was telling you one's a paint by number and one's an old print of the Santa Fe Railroad. But I think ⁓ an eclectic interest in art and buying what you love

is, I mean, certainly there are a lot of serious collectors, but don't you have a lot of people who just come in and they see one particular piece that they fall in love with?

Speaker 2 (08:19)
Yes, and those are my favorite people to sell to for two reasons. One, you are making your day for the artists, but people that fall in love with a piece of art always tell you their story about why they fall in love with it. They're not just filling a space on the wall as some people are. I mean, you just see how they connect with the piece and you just, sometimes it brings you to tears because you really feel like you're a part of somebody's happiness and you know,

You're watching them connect with the piece. Those are my favorite customers.

Speaker 1 (08:53)
And you have a lot of contemporary art, don't you?

Talk about that because that's something unexpected if you're not from here and you haven't been to a lot of galleries.

Speaker 2 (09:05)
Yes. So, you know, a long time ago, people would come to Santa Fe mainly for the traditional art, the real true, real deal cowboy art and Native American art. And I do have that. However, I feel that the art market has began to change and it is going a little bit modern and contemporary. So I do want to still include all of the traditional art, but I also want to incorporate the new part and

that also plays a role with your buyer. So a lot of, you know, the big time collectors from many years ago, they still buy that traditional art. And that's what they're still looking for. Where the younger generation who doesn't necessarily understand that kind of art, they're coming in now and they like and connect better with the contemporary art. So I try to have a variety of both. And I even have artists from Europe who paint impressionistic styles. So I try to have a little bit of everything.

Speaker 1 (10:03)
Well, so let's talk. So I don't want, I'm not going to ask you to name your favorite artists, but can you tell us some artists stories, some of your favorite stories about artists?

Speaker 2 (10:15)
Sure. So right now, what I'm really excited about is we just started carrying a 15 year old artist who self-taught. Her name is Sophie Oldham. She's out of Colorado and she does drawings with charcoal and pencil of iconic figures. And she is amazing. So I've only had her for about two weeks now. And when I tell you she's up and coming, ⁓ she's going to be really well known in years to come and a big deal. So I'm excited about her.

And then I have Tom Gille on.

Speaker 1 (10:46)
Hey, hang on just one second. Will you say her name again a little more slowly so that we can all know who to collect?

Speaker 2 (10:54)
Sophie Oldham.

Speaker 1 (10:56)
Sophie Oldham, right? Yep. Okay. So I'm coming in to look tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (11:02)
And she is really amazing. And I started off with four of her pieces and she's so sweet and just really excited. And so I'm happy to work with her and her first gallery. So it's exciting for both of us.

Speaker 1 (11:16)
Cool. And you started to talk about somebody else.

Speaker 2 (11:19)
I have Tom Gillian who is very well known. He's in his eighties and he actually paints contemporary Southwest art and Native American art. And he's been around for many, many years. I'm honored to even carry him in the gallery. He's a big deal and he's out of Montana, but years ago he did live in Santa Fe. And so his name is well known, but he is always somebody I love to see what he's working on and his pieces just sell and fly off the wall.

Speaker 1 (11:49)
And you, let's talk about people who have, and I know this, I know this, it's somewhat intimidating if you've never been, ⁓ first of all, I wasn't able when I had little kids, I wasn't able to afford art, but I also felt really intimidated walking into a gallery. What had, does that happen? Do you see that?

Speaker 2 (12:14)
you my best to never let anybody feel like that because it's true. You'll hear it from people that they're kind of scared to walk in, it's intimidating, the price tags are intimidating, but you know it's an experience. People, everybody loves art so it's not just for the buyer to enjoy, it's for anyone and so in my gallery I really want to provide an experience for everybody and I treat everyone the same.

So to me, it doesn't matter, but I try my best to make everybody feel welcomed. And that's the main experience that I want everybody to fill in my gallery.

Speaker 1 (12:51)
Well, let's say you're a first time art buyer and you're gonna look at several galleries in town, ⁓ but you sort of have decided that you want to get a piece for your home or your office. What's your best advice to somebody who's looking for the first time?

Speaker 2 (13:13)
Really say do your research. You want to go to galleries that actually represent the artists because at least with me, my artists pick the prices. So I don't up the price or lower the price ⁓ without speaking to my artists. And we really like to make sure every piece is authentic. Every piece comes with provenance paperwork.

that you have biographies on the artist. It's not just transactional. We want to see you again and be part of your art collecting journey. So I think if you're gonna get started, fall in love with a piece, but do your research on the artist and kind of make sure that you ask all the right questions and you have the right to ask questions. So that's my best advice.

Speaker 1 (14:02)
That's an interesting thing to say. You have the right to ask questions. mean, if I have... What are questions that you hear people ask? Because I'm wanting to know what I should be asking.

Speaker 2 (14:14)
They always ask the mediums in which it's done. So is it oil, acrylic, charcoal? You know, what is the medium? ⁓ Tell me about the artist. Are they local? Are they not? A lot of people come to Santa Fe specifically looking for local artists. So ⁓ those aspects, when was the painting made? ⁓ Where is the subject of the painting painted? And, you know, asking questions like,

what gives the piece its price and the value. I always say, you know, you can walk into any gallery and fall in love with the piece and you do get people that make offers on artwork, but would you like to leave a gallery with a piece of art where it's valued less than when you walked in? So use your due diligence and kind of like your intuition about that, because if you walk into any store and right away they're like 50 % off.

What's the true value of the piece? So when I say ask questions, make sure that it's actually an artist that's being represented. The secondary art market plays a big role in the fluctuation of prices and it actually hurts artists. So I love to talk about the fact that we represent artists and that we're actually here helping them make a living too.

Speaker 1 (15:31)
So when you're talking about the secondary art market, you're saying that somebody else owns the piece and then brought it into a gallery and maybe consigned it or it doesn't like it. So the connection to the artist is removed.

Speaker 2 (15:46)
Yep. And then it becomes a transactional thing because, you know, I've seen it happen where we'll get people that come in and they want to consign art with me. And it's a well-known artist, but I can go online and see that they bought it on an auction site for maybe 2000 and it's worth 16,000. Well, my customer can do the same thing. So they're not going to want to come in and spend $16,000 on a piece. see someone spent $2,000. So.

asking your questions and doing your research on where the piece came from and all of those things are very important.

Speaker 1 (16:23)
I know that there is, ⁓ and I like it. So there is this Santa Fe tradition of, ⁓ well, I called it art going ⁓ in my notes, but there is this Friday night gallery opening tradition in Santa Fe. Do you do that at your gallery? Do you have specific openings?

Speaker 2 (16:47)
We do participate in what's known as the Friday Art Walk. We're not on Canyon Road, but we do still stay open later and we'll offer champagne for people walking through hors d'oeuvres, things like that. Sometimes we'll have artists on site painting and creating art. And so it's a really fun experience, but we do do that on Friday evenings and that's all throughout the summer.

Speaker 1 (17:09)
And I would tell people who are listening and who are planning a trip to Santa Fe, plan to spend a Friday evening going through galleries and looking at art. It's one of my favorite things to do. And I've lived here a long time. Last week we went to an opening for another friend of mine at the Peters Gallery. I, I mean, I saw 20 or 30 people I know, I noticed, I could tell that there were people there from out of town. And I thought, what a great way.

to sort of live like a local and get to see ⁓ some amazing art and also, you know, get a glass of champagne, right?

Speaker 2 (17:49)
Agreed, yes, it's such a fun experience and you meet so many wonderful people. So it's it's definitely something to do.

Speaker 1 (17:58)
And in terms of the local art scene, you guys, it's a very collaborative group of gallery owners, isn't it? Is that right?

Speaker 2 (18:08)
Yes, Santa Fe, the majority of gallery owners are gonna be older and actually a lot of them don't even live in Santa Fe and they have people running them. ⁓ you know, that's one thing that was a little bit more challenging for me coming into this role as an owner because I'm a lot younger. I had to prove myself a lot harder for artists to take me serious and trust me, for clients to take me serious and trust me.

and even hiring employees because some people might have more experience than me. They may be worked in the art world for 50 years and then some I'm teaching. So it's been a very good but challenging experience and your role as an owner looks very different to everyone.

Speaker 1 (18:57)
So you do, are you the youngest gallery owner in town? seems like you might be.

Speaker 2 (19:02)
I know of one other person who's my age that owns a gallery here, the Dane Wells Gallery, but he actually just relocated to North Carolina. And then I have some other gallery friends who are maybe a year older than me who have the gallery up on Canyon Road. So I might be the youngest.

Speaker 1 (19:22)
I mean, I've seen a lot of gallery owners. seems, it does seem like that. What is your, what's your dream for when somebody walks into the gallery? What do you want them to feel?

Speaker 2 (19:35)
want them to feel welcomed, but I want them to fall in love with the atmosphere because every painting, you know, our artists really try to capture the atmosphere and make it feel like you're there in the painting. And so I want people to feel like that as they walk around the gallery that, wow, my gosh, like, I feel the emotion in this piece and I feel this and I feel that and to me that's so important. And so the whole experience, I just want it to be good.

Speaker 1 (20:04)
So for everybody who's listening, ⁓ should go to YouTube and watch this because Kristen is standing in the gallery and I can see like one, two, three, four pieces of art, five, and some sculpture. ⁓ mean, art is not just hanging art. No, I mean, do you carry a lot of sculpture? What is your non-hanging art?

Speaker 2 (20:27)
So I have a lot of sculpture, bronze sculpture. ⁓ I have furniture, know, handmade tables and benches with turquoise. I have jewelry. I have a little bit of everything that can fall into the art category. And so really everything in here to me is art. I have, ⁓ you know, art from the 1600s that are like writing desks. I have a lot.

not just paintings, but.

Speaker 1 (20:59)
And ⁓ is that necklace you're wearing indicative of the jewelry that you have? Because it's beautiful. Thank you.

Speaker 2 (21:06)
Thank you so much. think this is we have we have probably over 100 different jewelry artists that we have in the gallery, all from Gallup, New Mexico. So each piece is handmade and natural stone, everything like that. So all authentic.

Speaker 1 (21:29)
So let's talk about, mean, because we're, I want to hit all the high points ⁓ before we run out of time, but where do people find Legends of the West?

Speaker 2 (21:38)
located at 102 Eastwater Street. I'm caddy corner to La Fonda and I'm one block from the Plaza.

Speaker 1 (21:47)
So you're right across from Rocky Gorman, right? Yes, yep.

Speaker 2 (21:50)
Better crossing? Yeah.

Speaker 1 (21:53)
easy

to find and that's the only address you have,

Speaker 2 (21:59)
That's my only current address, yes.

Speaker 1 (22:01)
Okay, and what is your website?

Speaker 2 (22:05)
It is legends of the West fine art.com all of our jewelry furniture artwork sculpture is on there my story is on there. And you can learn so many things about our artists on there so it's very user friendly. wouldn't.

Speaker 1 (22:22)
So think one of the coolest things about buying a piece of art is that you do create a connection to artists. Do you foster that between buyers and artists? Do you help make that happen?

Speaker 2 (22:35)
Yes, in fact, a lot of the times with my local artists, if I have someone interested in their work, I'll call the artist and I'll say, come down to the gallery, so and so wants to meet you and they just build the relationships on top of that. And sometimes when they don't live here, I'll connect them in the way where my artist can send them a thank you note. So I do like for my artists to know who's buying their pieces and vice versa, the artists love to know.

Speaker 1 (23:03)
No, think that makes it, I mean, I always hear people say, you know, I'll walk through their house and they'll name it, they'll name a piece of art and they'll say, and the artist is, and I think, we have a big believer in stories, but I think knowing each other's story and ⁓ how that art was conceived, but also how it ⁓ affects the lives of the buyer or the collector, love, those are such good stories.

Speaker 2 (23:31)
It is, it's really special. And sometimes they'll make connections through it all. you know, it's just really awesome. I love it.

Speaker 1 (23:40)
And where do people find you ⁓ on Instagram or social media?

Speaker 2 (23:47)
On all of our social media, we are just Legends of the West Fine Art. And so it's Instagram, Facebook, and now TikTok. So those are my three main platforms right now.

Speaker 1 (23:58)
And just so everybody knows, those are also in the show notes so that you can get connected to Kristen because I know you want to go to her gallery when you're in town or if you live here, go now. But what events do you have coming up?

Speaker 2 (24:13)
So I have the Plain Air Painters of New Mexico. It's a national show that's juried in two weeks on July 13th. So that's gonna be a reception that we're having from six to 8 p.m. We'll have about 95 pieces here and ⁓ usually all of the artists are here for that reception. So definitely come to that. And then I have our Indian Market Reception which is going to be August 18th this year.

on a Saturday and our show will be 6 to 8 p.m. and then we're hosting for the very first time the Pastel Society of New Mexico in September and October. So you can check my website to see the dates for that this year.

We are.

Speaker 1 (24:58)
Are you having fun?

Speaker 2 (25:00)
I'm here every single day and it doesn't feel like work. And so there's always something for me to do and I get new ideas and inspiration all the time. So I love it.

Speaker 1 (25:11)
I like that. I like that. So we have to ask everybody, ⁓ what is your favorite place in Santa Fe? Other than your gallery.

Speaker 2 (25:23)
My favorite place is probably the Plaza, the square, know, it's just nostalgic. It's got the culture, the history. There's always something happening. It's peaceful. If you're hungry, go to Andrea's family fajita cart and you know, you can do a lot there. So I like the Plaza.

Speaker 1 (25:39)
That's right. Go get a tamale. Well, I, you know, I'm gluten free, so I can't have the fajitas, but ⁓ those tamales are great. That El Molero, right?

Speaker 2 (25:49)
Nice. Yep, you can't go.

Speaker 1 (25:51)
Okay, so ⁓ on the 13th, plain air. I just have to ask this. ⁓ Give me a, give folks, give our listeners a definition of plain air because I remember always thinking, what does that mean? I think I've, I think I figured it out, but can you tell people what it is?

Speaker 2 (26:09)
Yes, it's where the artists are actually on site painting the piece right there in front of it. They have a limited amount of time to get the lighting, the color, the subject right. So it's a little bit more rushed than if they were painting it in a studio. And so that's what we'll be hosting for. I believe there's going to be about 95 pieces. So I'm excited for everyone to see what we have.

Speaker 1 (26:32)
That's exciting. Well, everybody, thank you so much, Kristen. And thank you everybody that's listening. want every single person who hears this to go by the legends of the West Gallery on Water Street. Give us the address one more time, Kristen.

Speaker 2 (26:50)
202 East Water Street.

Speaker 1 (26:53)
Right. And we, it's so funny because when Johanna and I talk about guests, always like, well, we don't want to promote a specific business, but I'm like, I do really want to promote especially young people who are choosing to stay in Santa Fe and who are being really successful at things like you are. I mean, it's just such a testament to the strong community and ⁓ what an amazing place it is to live and hang out.

Speaker 2 (27:21)
love it. It's very special and this is where my heart is.

Speaker 1 (27:25)
Yeah, mine too. Well, thank you, Kristin. Thank you so much. ⁓

Speaker 2 (27:29)
you. really appreciate it. fun. Thank you.

Speaker 1 (27:34)
You're welcome.