Georgia O’Keeffe’s Homes
Georgia O’Keeffe’s Home and Studio
Abiqui煤, NM
Georgia O鈥橩eeffe first visited the village of Abiqui煤 (pronounced Ah-bih-cue) in 1931, and nearly two decades later made it her permanent home.
Located 60 miles northwest of Santa Fe, the home is open to the public for guided tours seasonally with advance reservations.
The Abiqui煤 Home & Studio Tour season runs from March to November. Click below for more information and to book a tour.
O鈥橩eeffe鈥檚 Two Northern New Mexico Homes
Georgia O鈥橩eeffe maintained two homes in Northern New Mexico. Her summer house, twelve miles from Abiqui煤, sits on 12 acres at the edge of a 21,000-acre property called Ghost Ranch. When O鈥橩eeffe purchased the parcel in 1940, the greater Ghost Ranch operated as a dude ranch鈥攁 destination for visitors and tourists. Today,聽聽is a retreat center operated by the Presbyterian Church and still welcomes visitors. Though breathtakingly situated, O鈥橩eeffe鈥檚 Ghost Ranch home was not suitable for her to live in year-round. O鈥橩eeffe purchased a larger home, in the village of Abiqui煤, for its well-irrigated garden and the comfort it offered in winter. While both houses are owned by the Georgia O鈥橩eeffe Museum, only the Abiqui煤 Home and Studio is open for public tours.
O鈥橩eeffe鈥檚 Abiqui煤 Home
The O鈥橩eeffe Home and Studio reflects a blend of Native American and Spanish Colonial building styles, regional architectural traditions dating back centuries. The oldest rooms of the house were probably built in 1744. The house was expanded in the 19th century into a pueblo-style聽adobe聽(mud brick) hacienda, with rows of rooms organized around a common open space, or聽plazuela.
It was one of the courtyard walls of the home that first attracted O鈥橩eeffe. She recalled: 鈥淎s I climbed and walked about in the ruin I found a patio with a very pretty well house and bucket to draw up water. It was a good-sized patio with a long wall with a door on one side. That wall with a door in it was something I had to have.鈥�
The 5,000-square-foot compound was in ruins in 1945 when she purchased the home from the Catholic Church. For the next four years, O鈥橩eeffe supervised its restoration, which was carried out by her friend, Maria Chabot. O鈥橩eeffe finally made Abiqui煤 her permanent home in 1949. The special character of the property, a quiet sanctuary from which to draw inspiration, perfectly suited O鈥橩eeffe鈥檚 needs. O鈥橩eeffe lived in the home from 1949 until 1984. She died in Santa Fe on March 6, 1986, at the age of 98. The O鈥橩eeffe Home and Studio was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998 and is now part of the Georgia O鈥橩eeffe Museum.
O鈥橩eeffe鈥檚 home in Abiqui煤 reveals her commitment to design and the aesthetics of her surroundings. Traditional adobe structures are found throughout the region, but O鈥橩eeffe made her home distinctly modern, with abundant natural light, updated amenities, and midcentury modern furniture. She also decorated it with rocks and bones from her collection, and cultivated a garden that provided food for her and her guests. O鈥橩eeffe may be one of the region鈥檚 most famous residents, but she is just a part of the larger human story that has unfolded in this valley over thousands of years. Rich in history, this land continues to fascinate and inspire all who see it.
Welcome Center Exhibition
Artful Living: O鈥橩eeffe and Modern Design
Abiqui煤, NM O’Keeffe Welcome Center
O鈥橩eeffe鈥檚 home was meticulously crafted to foster inspiration, contemplation, and artistic innovation. The Home & Studio, where she resided from 1949 to 1984, is a testament to the connection between art and design.
In this exhibition, we invite you to learn about the objects O鈥橩eeffe selected to make Abiqui煤 the home that continues to inspire designers and design enthusiasts to this day.
The Museum’s research collections include historic photographs documenting the construction and design of the home in Abiqui煤.
Georgia O鈥橩eeffe purchased her house in Abiqui煤 in 1945, attracted in part by its large garden served by the local irrigation system known as an acequia. A live feed is being captured by a video camera installed on the roof of Georgia O鈥橩eeffe鈥檚 home in Abiqui煤, documenting the changes in the garden.
