Near Abiquiu in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Georgia O’Keeffe

(1887–1986)

— New Mexico Historic Women Marker Initiative —

Georgia O’Keeffe Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, April 20, 2014

1. Georgia O’Keeffe Marker

Inscription. One of America’s great and most celebrated painters of the twentieth century, Georgia O’Keeffe is known for her unique depictions of natural and architectural forms. She began spending summers painting in Northern New Mexico in 1929 and moved from New York to make it her permanent home in 1949. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum was founded in 1997 in Santa Fe to honor her legacy and extraordinary achievement.

Erected by New Mexico Historic Preservation Division.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Environment • Women. In addition, it is included in the New Mexico Women’s Historic Marker Initiative series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1929.

Location. 36° 13.852′ N, 106° 22.826′ W. Marker is near Abiquiu, New Mexico, in Rio Arriba County. It is on Highway 84 (U.S. 84 at milepost 215.5) north of Abiquiu, on the right when traveling north. It is between the town of Abiquiu and the entrance to the Ghost Ranch. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Abiquiu NM 87510, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northern New Mexico.

It is also in the American Southwest,

in the Mountain West,

and at the Four Corners.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also the Republic of Texas.

Other nearby markers. At least 7 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Red Rocks (here, next to this marker); Abiquiú

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(approx. 3.7 miles away); Coelophysis Quarry (approx. 8.7 miles away); Agueda S. Martinez (1898–2000) (approx. 11.7 miles away); El Rito (approx. 12.8 miles away); a different marker also named El Rito (approx. 12.9 miles away); Welcome to the Church of San Juan Nepomuceno (approx. 13.3 miles away).

More about this marker. The New Mexico Historic Women Marker Initiative was founded in 2005 by members of the New Mexico Women’s Forum in a statewide effort to recognize women’s contributions to New Mexico history on the state’s Official Scenic Historic Markers. The Initiative ensures that women’s diverse histories will be remembered and told, and will inspire and provide a guide for future generations. The 2006 Legislature funded the project.

Also see . . . Wikipedia Entry. “Between 1929 and 1949, O'Keeffe spent part of nearly every year working in New Mexico. She collected rocks and bones from the desert floor and made them and the distinctive architectural and landscape forms of the area subjects in her work. ... In August of [1934], she visited Ghost Ranch, north of Abiquiu, for the first time and decided immediately to live there; in 1940, she

Photographed by J. J. Prats, April 20, 2014

2. Georgia O’Keeffe Marker

purchased a house on the ranch property. The varicolored cliffs of Ghost Ranch inspired some of her most famous landscapes. In 1977, O'Keeffe wrote: ‘[the] cliffs over there are almost painted for you—you think—until you try to paint them’.” (Submitted on April 21, 2014.)

Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Alfred Stieglitz, 1918

3. Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986)

Courtesy Wikipedia Commons.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 21, 2014, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,272 times since then and 52 times this year. Last updated on July 30, 2025, by Bill Wingate of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 21, 2014, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.