Santa Fe Art Tours marks its tenth anniversary, transforming art appreciation through conversation-based tours that make culture accessible to all.
On a late afternoon along Santa Fe’s tree-lined Canyon Road, you might see Elaine Ritchel lingering in front of a gallery with a small crowd gathered, or explaining the finer points of the Loretto Chapel’s Gothic Revival-style architecture near the historic Plaza. As the founder and lead guide of Santa Fe Art Tours—now marking its tenth year of operations—Ritchel fills an important role in advancing the creative community in Santa Fe and beyond.
When Ritchel conducted her first tour in 2015, she was guided by an ethos of exploration over didacticism. To this day, the tours are centered on conversation, creating space for discovery and connection. “Our tours go beyond art appreciation,” Ritchel says. “They encourage the ability to hold multiple perspectives at once.” In a city with a long, deep history, art becomes a chronicle of the past as often as a bellwether of contemporary art’s future. By accessing the complexity of Santa Fe’s artistic narratives through conversation, participants can locate themselves within these eras, not just the days and weeks of their lives, which can lead to powerful shifts in perspective.
“I’ve seen people open up in ways they never expected,” Ritchel says, describing parents awed by the insights of their children and spouses surprised by one another’s wisdom. “It’s a seriously beautiful thing and these moments are at the heart of why we do what we do.”
I’ve seen people open up in ways they never expected.
The last decade has seen the organization expand from walking tours and pandemic-era virtual studio visits to multi-day excursions and soon-to-be-announced hands-on workshops. As time marches on, Ritchel and her colleagues hold tight to the mission that has guided them since day one: to make art accessible. Santa Fe Art Tours is challenging an enduring notion that “art isn’t for everyone,” as she puts it, “that it’s niche, intimidating, or uninteresting. That’s what we’re trying to change.”
For those who believe art experiences are necessary—as social bridge, cultural analysis, or spiritual anodyne—adaptive and experiential arts education creates the conditions necessary to really look. “With us, people gain confidence to explore on their own,” Ritchel explains. An afternoon with Santa Fe Art Tours, then, can become the jumping-off point for the lifelong project of engaging with culture.
Ritchel and company are still considering how to mark the official anniversary, which falls in November 2025. “Something intimate and meaningful,” Ritchel muses, suggesting that perhaps they will design a few tours geared towards locals to express appreciation for the community that launched the outfit ten years ago.
Whatever the celebrations, moving forward, Santa Fe Art Tours aims to further democratize and demystify New Mexico’s art scene, allowing for an afternoon of exploring galleries and discussing architecture to become a touchpoint with history and culture, and even an opportunity to learn about one’s self.
