FREE
Museum admission will be free all day!
After last year’s hiatus, we are excited to bring back the Museum’s Annual Holiday Open House! Though we are making changes to allow for COVID-safe practices, there will still be activities, music, Baumann puppet entertainment, and, of course, art!
Join us on December 19 from Noon-5:00 pm to enjoy a day of carolers, food, and a special appearance from Santa! The afternoon will also feature recorded performances of the Gustave Baumann marionettes from Christmas past and a chance to visit the Museum Library to view our collection of historic Christmas cards designed and printed by Baumann (aka Papa Gus!)
Gustave Baumann, a Santa Fe Legend, was an artist of many trades. His work included printmaking, painting, and marionette-making. Baumann hand-carved and decorated wooden puppets called marionettes and brought them to life in live performances. Some characters were tall and skinny, others were short and stout, some were animals, and some were humans, but all had a personality and story of their own. He created a traveling marionette theater complete with scripts, costumes, props, backdrops, scenery, and a stage. Over a twenty-year period, he created nearly 100 marionettes; however, he was not a puppeteer. He left the actual performances to his wife Jane and Teatro Duende. In 1932 the Baumann Marionette Christmas Show at the NMMOA became a cherished community tradition.
While you’re on the plaza be sure to check out more Holiday Open House offerings across the street at the History Museum and Library! Visit their event page for more information. Admission to both museums will be free all day!