Time Travelers

BY DAVID LERNER PHOTOS MIK E HAWKINS

Much of Taos’ legendary mystique stems from the town’s centuries-long history as a trading center and crossroads between the Indigenous people of the Americas and various waves of newcomers from around the globe.

Although the legacy of European colonialism in Latin America and the U.S. Southwest is a complicated and sometimes contentious issue, the art objects, home furnishings, and other curios that evoke the romance of the Spanish colonial period nevertheless exert a powerful pull on the imagination for longtime Taoseños and new visitors alike.

Since moving to Taos from the Colorado high country in 2000, partners Sandra Dardon and Dennis Waltrip — proprietors of Ranchos Antique Furnishings — have created a portal to the elegant hacienda days of Northern New Mexico’s 18th and 19th centuries.

Housed in a historical adobe trading post, their 3,400-square-foot showroom features four separate spaces packed to the brim with devotional art, architectural elements, and other oneof-a-kind home furnishings. “We have always relied on the ‘law of attraction’ principle. People who love what we do find us. I think a piece usually selects its buyer, rather than the other way around,” says Waltrip.

Studios visits by appointment in Taos and Albuquerque. 505-250-0455 krysteen@krysteenwaszak.com instagram@krysteenwaszakart www.krysteenwaszak.com

Events Taos Art Studio Tour, September 2-4, 2023 Visit www.krysteenwaszak.com/ events for more details.