Distinctive Destinations

Couse-Sharp Historic Site exterior

photo by: Couse-Sharp Historic Site

Couse-Sharp Historic Site

  • Address 146 Kit Carson Road
    Taos, New Mexico 87571
  • Hours
    Monday–Saturday
    9:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
  • Phone (575) 751-0369

Visit Couse-Sharp Historic Site

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The 2.3-acre Couse-Sharp Historic Site is located in the central historic district of Taos, New Mexico, and includes the home, studio, and gardens of painter E. Irving Couse and the studios of his neighbor and fellow artist Joseph Henry Sharp. Both Couse and Sharp were among the founding members of the Taos Society of Artists (TSA).

The E.I. Couse portion is perhaps the most complete and authentic complex of a historic artist's home and studio in the United States. The restored 1915 Sharp Studio features an unparalleled collection of his paintings. The site is listed on the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places. It is also a member of the Historic Artists' Homes and Studios program. The site hosts tours by appointment, open houses, annual seasonal exhibitions, lectures, and artist demonstrations.

Visitors can explore Virginia Couse’s decorative gardens around their family home (which retains many of its original furnishings), and their inventor son Kibbey’s fully equipped workshop, laboratory, and machine shop. E.I. Couse’s original painting studio has been preserved much as it was in 1936 and features his collections of Pueblo pottery, locally made Hispano santos and retablos, and ethnographic material. J.H. Sharp’s first studio (converted from the 1835 Luna Family Chapel) and Sharp’s 1915 studio with a rotating exhibition of his work, ephemera, and Native art collection are also open to the public.

The Couse Foundation has acquired an adjoining property that includes Sharp's home, which has fallen into disrepair. The building will be repurposed into the Lunder Research Center, a museum facility and archive featuring the entire Taos Society of Artists. The center's projected opening date is mid-2021.

Tours are by appointment only. See website for winter hours.

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