SITE SANTA FE

Santa Fe Site does such a fantastic job of featuring local artists and highlighting artwork made/performed in New Mexico. It was really fun to have traveled to DC where Cassils's "Etched in Light" was created and the see the actual giant 60 foot cyanotype in Santa Fe. I love the care and thoughtfulness that goes into the large installations. AND I really appreciate that I get to go see new artwork with every new Site season with no entry fee. Grateful to have access to this space in Santa Fe!

The finest modern art museum/gallery in Santa Fe, and one of the best in the world. With no permanent collection, SITE is all about cutting-edge exhibitions and retrospectives. The curation here is spectacular, each show having something unique to say that you might never find in another museum. Their thoughtful and dramatic large scale installations aren't something you can see in other galleries. Every time I come in inspired (the "muse" in "museum") delighted and moved. It's a MUST-SEE for art lovers and curious minds of all kinds. Free admission ($10 donation requested -- and always well worth it). GO. SEE.

Been coming here since summer of 95 and always stop by when visiting my parents in Santa Fe. Came to current exhibit, Etched in Light, which my 80 year old mother declared was so much better than vladem and so cutting edge and interesting. We both loved the Erika Wannenmacher and Tristan Duke Exhibits. Staff is always welcoming and the space is just terrific. I have never seen an exhibit here I did not like. It is small and can be a short visit or long one. We spent a good hour here for current exhibit as it was so interesting and thought provoking. Definitely a must see when in Santa Fe.

Fantastic gallery. A little gem in the Santa Fe railyards.

SITE is my favorite place to see art in all of Santa Fe. Somewhere between a museum and a gallery, their exhibitions are always thoughtful, provocative, and memorable. The building is beautifully designed and both large enough to feel like you've had a substantial visit, yet small enough not to be overwhelming (give yourself 1-1.5 hours if you include a stop at the lovely little gift shop). The staff are warm and welcoming, always happy to answer questions about the art and artists. My only wish is that they had more of a full-blown/all-week cafe, but I believe they do serve coffee on the weekends. A highlight of Santa Fe if you love contemporary art.

If I could give this 10 stars I would. This museum does a beautiful job of exhibiting work that is deeply thought provoking and challenges what we think we understand. The Nicholas Galanin Interference Patterns exhibit is phenomenal. Take time to read ALL of the information about the pieces. This exhibit alone is worth a visit to Santa Fe. Billie Zangewa’s exhibit is beautiful and makes you feel connected to those people in the tapestry. I can’t recommend this enough!!

Fantastic experience. I drive from Denver because I love it so much. Each artist is so unique and I feel so inspired and uplifted when I leave. This is a must see destination.

Very cool group modern art show. I thought the video work was less appealing than the painting, sculpture, and installation pieces. Overall it was a good experience seeing contemporary artists work in large gallery spaces. Gift shop available with artsy items.

The finest modern art museum/gallery in Santa Fe, and one of the best in the world. With no permanent collection, SITE is all about cutting-edge exhibitions and retrospectives. The curation here is spectacular, each show having something unique to say that you might never find in another museum. Their thoughtful and dramatic large scale installations aren't something you can see in other galleries. Every time I come in inspired (the "muse" in "museum") delighted and moved. It's a MUST-SEE for art lovers and curious minds of all kinds. Free admission ($10 donation requested -- and always well worth it). GO. SEE.

We can only base this review on the building itself. The architecture of the building is stunning. The building is located in the Railyard Arts District. Unfortunately it was closed the day we wanted to visit. A nice staff person was exiting and told us to return for contemporary artworks. Admission is free. The outside wall is decorated with murals. We will try to catch it on our next visit. Metered street and lot parking.

Visited SITE during Thanksgiving holiday - completely blown away in Tristan Duke 'Glacial Optics' photos. All landscape portraits taken thru glacial ice "lense"! Who knew this technique existed? or used centuries before.? Overall immersive exhibit - Amazing space!

1) thank you for the stand against hate. Putting inclusive language on every single bathroom diet I is one of the most important direct action statements I've seen. Also- thank you for the nice bathrooms. 2) free. Always. 3) thought provoking art. Always. 4) also a cool building 5) fabulous gift shop (a bit poor of my price range but cool stuff) 6) don't miss the outdoor experience- side path is often extended installation. 7) ppl are complaining about the New Year's party 9 or that the opening hours were misrepresented @ as what this place is?? I don't get it, Yelp- those review are irrelevant .

Thought-provoking and interesting exhibit. Makes one realize the need for serious water conservation. Enjoy!

I really enjoyed my time at this exhibit. Staff was friendly when checking in and gave us a map of the exhibits. The pieces were so interesting. There were pieces on display that would change with the lighting. It really made me challenge my preconceptions of art. I would definitely visit again!

It's Santa Fe is a blessing for the city of Santa Fe. The curation and the art is next level. I had a wonderful visit.

Nice venue after a visit to the farm market across the street. Another experience to compliment our tour of the southwest.

We had such a fun time checking out the free exhibits this spring. The building itself is really beautiful and the staff is super informative and friendly.

What a pity! You plan a New Year's Eve Party and then lack sufficient bar staff, no decent food AND then you make us exit out the back door -- in a foot of snow -- in our fanciest shoes. WTF SITE Santa Fe?!?!?!

I stopped in on a Saturday and got free admission (Free during certain hours Friday and Saturday). They were showing works by Jacob Hashimoto and I was blown away! It was a small exhibit but it was so beautifully put together. I liked how minimalist and modern it was. This is my favorite museum in New Mexico!

We dropped into SITE Santa Fe last night about an hour before they closed, so it was really nice of the woman in front only to charge us half price for tickets. The exhibitions here are rotating, but the ones we caught--"Future Shock" and "The Crime of Art" were really good. Some of the pieces in the former were a bit eye-roll inducing, but others were brilliant and thought-provoking. We especially loved the stock exchange photos and the two large paintings by Alexis Rockman. The surveillance video piece was also nerve-wracking and definitely felt Big Brotheresque. This museum is a nice change of pace from much of the western stuff you'll see around town. We're glad we went.

On our last morning in Santa Fe, my fiance and I visited Site Santa Fe, thinking it'd be a quick stop in an art gallery. We had our dog with us, so we took turns going inside. My fiance went first, and he was gone for half an hour. I didn't time myself, but apparently I took longer than an hour. I'm a huge jerk, I guess, but also Site Santa Fe is fascinating. Going in, I thought Site was an art gallery, but it turns out it's a small museum. Right now, the entire space is devoted to an exhibition on Art in the Age of Truthiness. It is an intriguing exhibit, with a variety of modern art centered around themes of truth, reality, perception, etc. This sort of exhibition has the potential to be pretentious and annoying, but this one was neither. It was thought-provoking and earnest and highly entertaining all throughout. I read almost every word on every plaque in the whole museum. Most of the art on display is fairly hard to describe with any faithfulness or brevity, so instead of making a sad attempt, I'll direct you to the exhibition's website: http://www.artsmia.org/more-real/. Admission was $10 and well worth the price. The exhibition has really stayed with me over the last few weeks, and I feel like I'll remember it vividly for a long time. If you have even a passing interest in art, I'd say a visit to Site is mandatory if you're coming through Santa Fe. I'd make an effort to go to every show if I lived in town.

What a neat museum! There's a lot to see - give yourself plenty of time. It's free on Fridays!

Great location and interesting instalations. Staff was very friendly and ready to give tips for the more interactive parts of the museum. Gave a nice little coupon for free popcorn at the nearby theater, but they don't validate parking! I was so disappointed by that!

Very disappointed. Was in Santa Fe last August to see this Museum and attend the Opera. The museum was closed for two weeks for a change of exhibition. August is the high season for Santa Fe. Why would they change the exhibition at this time... the height of tourist season. Very disappointed. Very stupid.

Was checking the website calendar he said open and call them to make sure, but never reply. So I guess it's open because the website said so. I drive up there and end up, it's closed! Just open the gift shop! That's bullshit! Hisssssss!

I loved this gallery. There was so much to see, so I feel like it's one of those places anyone would enjoy. The staff was very friendly, and it's in a great location. If I'm ever in Santa Fe again, I plan to come back.

A wonderful way to enrich an afternoon! There were only two exhibits up but things are so well curated that it felt like a full day of aesthetic delights! The self-guided audio tour system is great and you can check out wonderful headphones that you can link to your phone. I was so pleasantly surprised by this place and can't wait to return for another exhibition!

Super interesting and well exhibited and free! Thumbs up. Don't forget to take time and explore the street art in the area immediately adjacent. Lots of artsy treasures if you keep your eyes open.

SITE had unexpectedly progressive content for a city consumed by many tacky art galleries. Sure, some of the art was odd which is normal, but there was enough to make an intriguing 30 minute visit. Keep up the good work. Even better, it was free during Farmer's Market Saturdays. Yelp categorizes this place as an "art gallery" which is a subcategory of "shopping". They do not sell art here. This is a museum. There are many art galleries west and north of SITE.

I went the same day as the Santa Fe Farmers' Market, and the admission was free. I'm not sure if it's always like that. It was fun!! It has a huge interior and at the time was showcasing one artist in particular who fully utilized the space with installations and sound and paintings and video. I enjoyed the exhibit and would be curious to check out other exhibitions if I'm in NM again. It's not as snooty as the galleries in town either.

I thank my lucky stars (that's right, all 5 of 'em) to have SITE in Santa Fe... Its an interesting progressively modern museum in a town of cowboys, indians and coyotes with bandanas. And guess what, kiddos! It's free on Fridays... so check it out. You may hate it, you may love it and if you go, you won't die wondering.

Santa Fe is lucky to have SITE. The 2010 Biennial, The Dissolve, is a really important exhibition in the evolution of contemporary art. I will not describe it further as to avoid coloring the readers' own impressions and experience of this exhibit, but if you enjoy contemporary art you need to see this exhibition. A note about a ridiculously low review, that was more a commentary about the reviewers dislike of contemporary art than anything else. I would suggest that if one doesn't "get" or like a particular genre of art then one should refrain from reviewing a venue that displays such art, or at least review the venue itself rather than the genre it exhibits. SITE is a world class asset to the city of Santa Fe, and most locals do have the sense to appreciate this fact even if they are not partial to contemporary works.

SITE Santa Fe is a fascinating little contemporary art gallery. It's a break from the usual Southwestern art one sees along Canyon Road. Not only do they display contemporary art, but they also show movies. Back in the '90s, they showed the Director's Cut/Extended Edition of Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor." A perfect place to see an epic film in an intimate little theater.

A unique contemporary art museum that specializes in exploring cultural identity. Lots of interactivity. Some works spoke to me more than others, but the museum has a distinct agenda that is presented boldly and provocatively. An anchor of Santa Fe's art district near the train station.

Not really worth a visit. The space is sparse concrete and tries very hard to scream "contemporary art", but the quality of work is similar to what could be found in numerous surrounding galleries that don't charge an extortionate $10 adult admission. Apparently they only have one exhibition at a time - video or sculpture or "contemporary" mixed media or etc. The caliber of artist that they seem to present doesn't merit the charge for entry. The place is gallery-esque and if free, wouldn't be so bad. With the admission charge, would skip this place unless you've never seen any "contemporary art" anywhere else on earth.

Terrific exhibits, very provocative! Great building as well. Worth the 10.00 admission fee, especially if you are intrigued with installation pieces. No parking on site, but lots close by.

We were there for the Biennial, The Dissolve, which was a fascinating exploration of all things animated (starting with a particularly compelling short film created in 1929 using paper cut-outs). The depth and breadth of this exhibition, along with the excellent curation, gives me the impression that this is a significant modern art space, even though I've only seen this one show. I think it's well worth a visit for any modern art fan who finds him or herself in Santa Fe, and as a bonus it's located in the newly redeveloped railyard next to the farmer's market and other cool attractions.

Awsome if in santa fe a must see for sure. really cool art gallery awsome set up has had some really cool shows. a must see if visiting or a local.

Wonderful space. We went last night (it's free on Fridays or Friday nights..not sure which). Can not wait to see the expansion... the model inside looks incredible. Nice staff. Small but wonderful gift shop with truly creative things.

Wow, I guess the locals hate this place. The only show I visited there was "Lucky Number 7" because I knew of 2 artists that were part of it. I liked their work--- but the interactive installations were my favorite. Some works didn't interest me--or were over my head ( and I work at a museum) but all in all, a great way to spend an hour.

Contemporary art ain't for everybody. But I like it. SITE is a must-see for avid fans, and for those who are curious what all the fuss is about. (BTW, I've enjoyed watching Santa Fe develop their Railyard district, where SITE is a cornerstone -- it reminds me of a little Denver LoDo/Riverfront. They've built a very impressive public park and a beautiful facility for farmer's markets. Now there are cafes, galleries, and even a brand spankin' new REI.) I've been to SITE several times, and -- like any museum -- not all exhibits are created equal. This month they have by far the best video exhibit I've seen at a contemporary art museum: It's by Brent Green (thru Sept 6, '09). Here's what SITE says about him: "Pennsylvania-based artist Brent Green is known for his stop-motion short films in which he combines hand-drawn animations, rickety handmade sets, and which he narrates in his distinctive, tremulous voice. These works reflect his abiding interest in the strange characters and local stories of his childhood in Appalachia. Green draws equally from Wagner (in the way that he works in many mediums, giving each equal importance, forming a "total work of art") and from Faulkner (in the bleak, heart-breaking humor of the stories that he tells).... "Tinkerer Used to be a Trade" is Green's new film about the life of Thomas Edison, which will premiere at SITE. In addition... Green will screen Carlin and the 2009 film Weird Carolers. Weird Carolers tells the story of Beethoven going deaf at the end of his life, but continuing to compose, biting his piano to feel its vibrations in his teeth, throwing hammers and shoes around in his second-story apartment in Salzburg, and inducing nightmares in the downstairs neighbor. In this most recent body of work, Green expands beyond the characters of his strange Appalachian childhood into historical and mythical ones."

The exhibits were great and a nice change from the typical southwest art. I love Greg Lynn and was hoping a little more of him was seen in the interior of the architecture vs a couple of articulated surfaces on the front. ...budget?

2 stars for form without function. I'm sure there's some good stuff inside if you can find your way in. There's one entry to the parking lot that looks like you're either turning down the train tracks or taking the service entrance. The entire building is surrounded with dirt which made for awesome mud wamping. They weren't open when we got there, again, which seems to be the case for most of the week according to their posted hours. Guess I don't get it. Boo.

Great Biennial along with a great concept for a biennial by bringing in a guest curator. Site Santa Fe has quickly became one of favorite Contemporary Art Museums. The were gracious hosts and our docents were fabulous. This was a great suggestion by G.M.!

Great stuff! It's hard to explain some of these exhibits and installations, so you just have to come and see for yourself. Check out Ann Hamilton's "the common SENSE," an installation which explores 'touch' as the sense that is common to all animal species." It's a roomful of wonderful photographic prints of animals mounted from floor to ceiling on newsprint. And you can take samples!

Definitely awesome and always an experience. It's significantly cooler if you get a tour (I recommend Virginia as a tour guide), but generally interesting without one as well. Free and open until 7pm on Fridays, if you're hesitant about going (at least you won't have had to pay for it if you don't like it).