Art in Truth or Consequences, Hillsboro, Chloride and All of Sierra County

Sierra County is home to an extraordinary and eccentric group of painters, photographers, fiber artists, musicians, and artisans. Traditional arts and crafts flourish alongside cutting-edge contemporary art, creating a lively creative environment.

Second Saturday Art Hop, downtown Truth or Consequences

Artist Residencies and Retreats in Truth or Consequences offer lodging and studio space for creatives.

See a comprehensive list of Sierra County studios, galleries, and other art-related businesses here.

“The Indian Bear Dance” by artist Boris Deutsch (1895-1978) was installed at the Hot Springs New Mexico Post Office in June 1940 under one of the federal arts programs created to employ artists during the Great Depression (1929-1943). (source) It is available for viewing at Main @ Jones during post office hours.

Information on many of Sierra County’s artists can be found on the Sierra County Arts Council website.  The Arts Council’s Youtube Channel showcases some of our local musicians and artists.

Works by local painter Delmas Howe are on view at the Geronimo Springs Museum, as well as at Rio Bravo Fine Art Gallery, the largest venue in the county, which was founded in 1999 by contemporary artist Harold Joe Waldrum (1934-2003). Howe’s colorful flower murals also adorn the exterior of the Truth or Consequences Civic Center.

Colorful outdoor murals by various artists can be found all around T or C, everywhere from bath houses and shops to homes and vacant buildings, on the main streets and in alleys.

Buckhorn mural by Reed Rische, Main Street T or C
mandala mural at The Center Gallery
gold panner - mural by David Larcom
mural - Truth or Consequences alley - 500 Block of Broadway
mural of Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland- Truth or Consequences alley - 500 Block of Broadway
A flower mural by Delmas Howe at the Civic Center
Pelican mural in the courtyard next to Studio de la Luz.
Peter Bowles mural on Main in Truth or Consequences
mural - Truth or Consequences alley - 500 Block of Broadway
Pelicans soaking in hot springs - Pelican Spa alley near A&B Drive In
Jia Apple mural at Veterans Memorial Park
David Larcom's road runner at the Ace Lodge
Reed Rische mural on Main by the old Post Office
Reed Rische mural between Rio Bravo and Riverbend Hot Springs
Peter Bowles with his mural on Main in Truth or Consequences
Peter Bowles mural on Broadway in Truth or Consequences
mural by Reed Rische at Mesilla Healing
mural behind Davis Fleck

Other artists make and show their work in studios and galleries around the county, and local art is the primary focus of  Truth or Consequences‘ Second Saturday Art Hop, held monthly in the downtown’s easily walkable Hot Springs Bathhouse Historic and Commercial District.

Several craft fairs occur annually, and work by artists of every variety, and from all age groups, is shown at the Sierra County Fair every October. Many quilts can be seen at the fair, but to see more than a hundred at once, from brand new to antique, visit during the Annual Gathering of Quilts each February at Ralph Edwards Auditorium.

Artists’ and artisans’ handiwork is offered every December at various holiday events, most notably Hillsboro’s Christmas in the Foothills, with its legendary $49.99 Sale, an event that provides visitors an opportunity to acquire original artworks for less—sometimes far less—than market value.

Local book signings, book fairs, and poetry readings show off the talents of local writers. Workshops in straw bale construction and other natural building methods are offered as well, usually in Kingston.

Painting, drawing, and sculpture classes are offered from time to time at galleries and studios in Hillsboro and Truth or Consequences.

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