The Couse-Sharp Historic Site invites visitors to step into the living legacy of Taos’s early art colony—and consider Taos Pueblo’s influence on every brushstroke.
Couse-Sharp Historic Site
Taos
Nestled near the center of Taos, the Couse-Sharp Historic Site spans two acres and includes breathtaking gardens and refreshing green space, as well the Lunder Research Center, the only research center and museum dedicated to the early Taos art colony. This is your portal to the homes and studios of Taos Society of Artists founders Eanger Irving Couse and Joseph Henry Sharp, who painted themselves and Taos into history.
The Couse family home and painting studio was built in stages between 1839 and 1930. Sharp joined Couse in 1915, and they renovated the property together for several years, during which time Virginia Couse planted the first decorative gardens in the Taos Valley.
Walking through the Couse home, the details of daily life in the 1800s spring to life. Couse’s tools, a camera he used to photograph models, and a darkroom invite close inspection. In the studio, an unfinished painting sits on an easel, as if Couse and his model had just stepped outside. Many of Couse and Sharp’s models were members of Taos Pueblo, whose presence and culture profoundly shaped their work.
Sharp set up his studio in the Luna Chapel, cherished for generations, which now contains rotating exhibitions, Sharp’s original paintings, and his personal collection of Southwestern artifacts. On a sunny spring day, you might spot an artist painting outside wearing a hat and vest, evoking Sharp’s spirit.
The Couse-Sharp Historic Site is a short stroll away from the new Legacy Cafe, as well as the best places to stay in Taos.
146 Kit Carson Rd, Taos | couse-sharp.org
