Georgia O’Keeffe’s New Mexico Vistas to be preserved with Conservation Plan
The National Ghost Ranch Foundation and the Presbyterian Foundation jointly announced plans to preserve the landscapes and vistas made famous by artist Georgia O’Keeffe through a new partnership with the State of New Mexico and the New Mexico Land Conservancy.
The Ghost Ranch Conservation Plan will protect 6,000 acres of pristine land, water and wildlife habitat in Northern New Mexico through conservation easements while ensuring sustainable operations for Ghost Ranch’s educational programs for years to come. A conservation easement is a voluntary agreement to preserve land for conservation purposes while allowing landowners to retain ownership.
Ghost Ranch, nestled amidst the breathtaking red and yellow cliffs of the Piedra Lumbre, was a well-known place of solace and inspiration for visionary artist Georgia O’Keeffe, whose depictions of the majestic areas are some of the most recognizable paintings in art history.
O’Keeffe owned a small house and seven acres on Ghost Ranch and a larger home and studio in the nearby village of Abiquiú, which are now owned and managed separately by the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe. While the conservation plan does not directly affect these properties, the easements help preserve the landscapes and vistas made famous by O'Keeffe's paintings for future generations. This includes the mesas that overlook Abiquiú Lake, the Rio Chama, and Cerro Pedernal (Tewa: Tsip'in).
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect one of the most iconic landscapes in New Mexico,” said David Evans, CEO of the Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center. “We’re excited this new partnership will help preserve this special place of history, culture and nature for future generations.”
“We are pleased to welcome this new era of conservation for Ghost Ranch,” said the Rev. Dr. Tom Taylor, CEO of the Presbyterian Foundation. “For more than 70 years, we’ve taken seriously our responsibility to steward these lands for the public good, and we’re confident we’ve found the right partners to carry out that longstanding tradition.”
"This conservation plan is a great example of what can happen when people work together to preserve what we love about New Mexico,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “We're excited to leave a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy the stunning landscapes and vistas that drew Georgia O'Keeffe to Northern New Mexico and continue to define this region's incomparable beauty. I'm grateful to my administration and our nonprofit leaders for their hard work to make it happen."