Olive Rush Memorial Studio and Historic Santa Fe Foundation Tour
Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 3 pm
A Fundraiser for Olive Rush Memorial Studio and Historic Santa Fe Foundation.
$150 PER PERSON FOR MEMBERS OF BOTH ORMS & HSFF | $175 PER PERSON FOR MEMBERS OF ORMS OR HSFF | $200 PER PERSON FOR NON-MEMBERS
LIMITED CAPACITY | RESERVE YOUR SPOT FOR THE TOUR BELOW
Historic Santa Fe Foundation (HSFF) is pleased to announce a joint tour and fundraiser in partnership with the Olive Rush Memorial Studio (ORMS) on Sunday, October 20, 2024. The tour includes visits to El Zaguán, the Edwin Brooks House, and the Olive Rush Studio and Art Center and will conclude with a buffet-style dinner at the Edwin Brooks House.
ABOUT THE TOUR
This walking tour on Sunday, October 20, 2024, offers a unique opportunity to explore three historic properties along Canyon Road. Participants will meet at the Historic Santa Fe Foundation’s El Zaguán, located at 545 Canyon Road, where they will embark on a guided history tour of both El Zaguán and the adjacent Edwin Brooks House at 553 Canyon Road. After delving into the rich history of these two significant properties, the group will enjoy a quick stroll up Canyon Road to visit the Olive Rush Studio and Art Center at 630 Canyon Road. This stop highlights the artistic heritage of the area, showcasing the works and contributions of renowned artist Olive Rush. The tour will culminate with an intimate buffet-style dinner in the inviting sala of the Edwin Brooks House, providing participants with a chance to reflect on the day's discoveries and engage in conversation about Santa Fe's vibrant cultural and architectural history. Read below for a brief description of each property included in the tour.
For more information email Hanna Churchwell at hanna@historicsantafe.org, or call the office at 505.983.2567
Click the above button to purchase tickets or view the registration page here. Become a member of both organizations to receive a discount on this tour.
CANCELLATION POLICY. A full refund for the tour only will be given if canceled on or before October 1, 2024. If there is a cancellation after October 1, the participant(s) will be issued a tax-donation for the full amount.
WANT TO BECOME A HISTORIC SANTA FE FOUNDATION MEMBER? Add a membership to your cart to get the discounted rate for this tour and other HSFF Member benefits. Annual membership - Individuals $45, Household $80. Or email Giulia Caporuscio at giulia@historicsantafe.org. Checks for HSFF Membership can be mailed to Historic Santa Fe Foundation, 545 Canyon Rd, Ste 2, Santa Fe NM, 87501.
WANT TO BECOME AN OLIVE RUSH MEMORIAL STUDIO MEMBER? Visit oliverush.org/member and purchase a membership to get the discounted rate for this tour and other ORMS Member benefits. Annual membership - Individuals $45; Senior 64+, student, or low-income $30; Dual $65; Friend and family $100; Supporting $250; Sustaining $500. Or email info@oliverush.org. Checks for ORMS Membership are made payable to the Olive Rush Memorial Studio, and can be mailed to ORMS Treasurer, 4784 N. Lombard Street, B-138, Portland OR 97203.
PROPERTY DESCRIPTIONS
Descriptions of the locations include excerpts from Old Santa Fe Today, 5th edition by Audra Bellmore.
El Zaguán, 545 Canyon Road
James L. Johnson, a Santa Fe Trail merchant, bought two parcels of land, including a house, and corral on Canyon Road in the mid-1850s. By 1875 his business was thriving, his family had grown to seven children, and he had added on to his house. The Johnson home was described in the newspaper as "one of the finest villas on the edge of the city." The Johnson family was associated with the house for over 75 years. The property was purchased in 1928 by Margretta Dietrich, a wealthy widow who had recently resettled in Santa Fe from Nebraska where she had been a leading organizer of women's suffrage groups. Eventually Kate M. Chapman, one of the earliest practitioners of Spanish-Pueblo Revival style adobe architecture, directed El Zaguán's restoration and enlargement. In 1979 a private corporation formed by John Gaw Meem transferred the property to HSFF. Today El Zaguán houses the Foundation office, exhibit area, and private apartments.
The Edwin Brooks House, 553 Canyon Road
This house was the home of Edwin Brooks, a partner in the Pueblo Spanish Building Company, from 1928 to 1937. It was remodeled by his partner William Penhallow Henderson and includes much of his detailed craftwork like hand-adzed wood beams, corbels and lintels. In 1957, it became the home and studio of artist Fremont Ellis (1897-1985), who maintained his home and studio on the property until his death. Ellis came from Montana to paint in Santa Fe in 1919 and formed the celebrated artist group Los Cinco Pintores, with Willard Nash, Walter Mruk, Jozef Bakos and Will Shuster in 1921. At his death in 1985, he was the last of the original artists to live and work in Santa Fe. The Edwin Brooks House serves as Historic Santa Fe Foundation’s reading room and the Eugene and Clare Thaw Education and Research Center and in the summer houses the Foundation’s Faith and John Gaw Meem Preservation Trades Intern.
The Olive Rush Studio and Art Center, 630 Canyon Road
Olive Rush was a prominent painter, illustrator, muralist and art teacher who moved to Santa Fe and became part of its development as an important artist colony in the early twentieth century. Rush was born in 1873 in Fairmont, Indiana, on a Quaker family farm. She worked and exhibited widely on the East Coast before settling in Santa Fe in 1920. Rush purchased an old adobe farmhouse on Canyon Road, expanded it, and made it her home and studio until her death at 93 in 1966. She remained an active member of the Society of Friends throughout her life and founded the Santa Fe Quaker Meeting, which often gathered at her home, during World War II. When she died, she left her home to the Meeting, who worshipped there and cared for the property until they outgrew it and moved to a more spacious building in 2020. In 2023, a new nonprofit organization called the Olive Rush Memorial Studio purchased the historic home and studio, including a robust collection of Rush’s art and furnishings and an archive of papers and photographs, with the intention to transform Rush’s home and garden, including her frescos and painted decorations, into a full-time studio museum and lively community art center.
PHOTOS: FLOWER VASE MURAL PAINTED BY DOROTHY STEWART, BY HANNA CHURCHWELL; RADIATOR COVER BUILT BY WILLIAM PENHALLOW HENDERSON AND PAINTED BY FREMONT ELLIS, BY HANNA CHURCHWELL; OLIVE RUSH MURAL ON A FIREPLACE, BY PETE WARZEL.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE OLIVE RUSH MEMORIAL STUDIO. In 2023, a new nonprofit organization called the Olive Rush Memorial Studio purchased the historic Olive Rush home and studio, including a robust collection of her art and furnishings and an archive of papers and photographs. The nonprofit intends to transform Rush’s home and garden, including her frescos and painted decorations, into a full-time studio museum and lively community art center. The studio museum will display Rush’s art and tell her story, as well as those of her female and indigenous friends, students, and colleagues. Through art classes, concerts and other events, the art center will foster creativity and artistic and spiritual adventures among locals and visitors. Visit oliverush.org for more information.