Our Permanent Collection is composed of regional pieces—predominantly New Mexico—and includes historic pieces from around the world for comparative purposes. Nearly half of our collection is composed of the work of Spanish Market artists from the 1920s to present. A percentage of pieces are from the period 1598-1821 with the remainder primarily 19th-century New Mexico along with Spain and other areas in order to place it in the global context.

Our museum archive and library space, unique in Santa Fe and New Mexico, houses materials related to 100 years of history of the Spanish Colonial Arts Society, its museum, the roots and first 70 years of Traditional Spanish Market, and correlated history of Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico. The library’s holdings include over 3,000 books, periodicals, and ephemera on Spain and Spanish Colonial art and history with a significant emphasis on art, architecture, and the history of Mexico and New Mexico. Comparative topics are also included with books about Asia, the Philippines, Europe, Portugal, Brazil, and other South and Latin American countries. Other subjects include folklore, song and dance, foodways, fiction, and children’s stories.

The archive complements the library holdings with documents and publications dating as far back as the 19th Century. Also available for research are files from important individuals who have contributed to the Society and its collections over time, such as Alan Vedder, E. Boyd, William Field, and Robin Farwell Gavin. All combined, these unique holdings offer a one-of-a-kind view of the art and cultural history of New Mexico and beyond. This dual repository for archival and library materials located alongside our vast art collections reflects the Society as an unparalleled organization in northern New Mexico.