Art Adventuring: A Conversation with Claudia Hess of Hess Art Advisory
“It’s a country that drives you crazy with delight!” ~ Willa Cather
Claudia Hess is a San Francisco-based appraiser and self-described art adventurer. She has organized an immersive travel experience for May 2020 (only two spots left!) and September 2020 (spots still available). The trip combines her long-standing passions for the New Mexico landscape, the region's notable artists, exploring Georgia O'Keeffe's beloved landscapes, and the vibrant Santa Fe art scene. We caught up with Claudia to learn more about the inspiration for the trip and hear her thoughts about the power of walking in the footsteps of artists to experience their environment and inspirations.
Worthwhile Magazine (WM): We’re quite excited to learn more about the New Mexico trip you have designed. Can you share with us what the journey will include?
Claudia Hess (CH): It will include a fantastic mix of adventure, history, art, and self-renewal with other like-minded people all in the stunning beauty of the Santa Fe area.
WM: What first inspired you to create this concept?
CH: I have been enthralled with the incredible mixture of history, stunning natural beauty, and the vibrant art scene of New Mexico for many years. I adore travel and thought to myself: “Hey! I have this idea about a unique mixture of travel and art adventure.” No one is doing these types of journeys for active art lovers. Our everyday lives have a lot of living in our heads and enduring a lot of stress. So I’m using art (which I happen to know a lot about) as a tool to bring reconnection and rejuvenation, all in the gorgeous surroundings of Santa Fe.
Todd Webb (American, 1905-2000), Georgia O’Keeffe on Ghost Ranch Portal, New Mexico, circa 1960s. Gelatin silver print, 10 by 8 inches, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Gift of the Georgia O’Keeffe Foundation, 2006.06.1046, © Estate of Todd Webb, Portland, ME
WM: It’s such a potent experience to physically immerse yourself in the places and landscapes that were so creatively enriching for Georgia O’Keeffe! We’re fascinated by how you’ve woven this journey literally into the creative terrain that was so sustaining for her over her life. The vintage photographs of her collections of rocks and bones and other found treasures gleaned from the land have always felt like such powerful evidence of how much importance the surrounding environment held for her creatively. Do you feel a resonance to her immersive connection with the land by bringing your travelers directly into it?
La Plaza Blanca in Abiquiú, New Mexico
Georgia O’Keeffe, “The White Place In Sun,” oil on canvas, 28 by 22 inches, 1943. © 2018 Georgia O'Keeffe Museum/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
CH: You couldn’t have said it better! While her paintings are SO potent, the land and her decision to live there is a major aspect of understanding what her art is about. In fact, we will immerse ourselves in the physicality of places she worked and lived BEFORE we go to see her museum. Georgia is the whole package--seeing, hearing, feeling! You just can’t get that complete essence from just seeing her artworks. That’s the goal of this journey. Your feet touch her earth and your ears hear the desert sounds, and your heart will expand with the incredible views she distilled into her paintings. Suddenly, not only will you be able to see small bones, stunning shadows, or towering monoliths; you will feel them in your gut. You get to do that with new and old friends--how cool is that?
WM: What do you hope your fellow travelers on your tour will gain from this trip? Do you see this trip as an opportunity for them to journey inwards as well?
CH: Yes, indeed. The pace and pressure of our lives can deaden our openness to beauty all around us. It’s my real hope that practicing seeing things through a more open and creative lens will transfer to your everyday life. I want to facilitate your ability to experience new and deeper connections to nature, your family, and friends. If you are just dragging yourself from art gallery to art museum – as the majority of art trips to Santa Fe do – you miss possibilities of transformation and renewal.
The best example I have is my friend Betsy. She is a financial planner and left brainer, who told me she never really notices certain things. After going to Africa with me and getting to experience it more through my lens, she started to transform. Recently she proudly told me that she really started seeing a lot more beauty and nuance in her everyday life! So that made me happy and convinced that change can occur all the time and at all stages of life. Sometimes we just need a little knowledgeable nudge in that direction.
WM: What sort of travelers are you hoping to bring along with you on the art adventure? Who do you feel would be perfectly suited for this sort of experience?
CH: The trip we are doing in May is currently nearly booked full, with only two spots remaining available. Our next trip is scheduled for the second week of September 2020!
Since we do marvel in many path-breaking contributions by women to the culture and unique qualities of the Santa Fe area, it might be more of a women-oriented trip. However, anyone who wants an active art experience would benefit. We do have men on our waitlist of people, and they will probably be coming on the September trip.
In addition to stunning views we’ll get an insight into gutsy people like Mabel Dodge Luhan, Willa Cather, Robert Henri, and an astonishing group of women called “Ladies of the Canyons.” I was very inspired by Leslie Poling-Kempes’s book Ladies of the Canyons, which chronicles the true story of remarkable women who left the security and comforts of genteel Victorian society and journeyed to the American Southwest in search of a wider view of themselves and their world. In fact, they knew people like Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Edison. Wait until you learn what they did for and by themselves using their notable connections and grit to enhance culture. Their influence stretched coast to coast in a time when women didn't even have the right to vote!
Mabel Dodge Luhan, photo source: The Mabel Dodge Luhan House
WM: New Mexico seems to be a magical place for many artists. What do you think are some of the unique qualities of this Southwest area?
CH: The altitude and natural formations cut by wind or water as well as the quality of light are what have pulled so many creative types there. The more open and exploratory society certainly is also a draw. The vistas are immense and dramatic. Just seeing the clouds is a spiritual experience. I feel that the openness and the reverence of the native people towards nature and creativity is a crucial element of the local culture. New Mexico continues to offer a safe and magical place for creation, and inspires alternative thoughts and actions.
WM: There also seems to be a strong culture of independence and self-discovery established by Mabel Dodge Luhan and the Taos artistic scene. What are your thoughts about this creative legacy and the ways in which it continues to reverberate in New Mexico?
CH: Mabel and Georgia are really only sort of a middle part! Other pioneer ladies already had begun an extraordinary transfer of women from the East Coast to the West. In fact, in the early 1900s Santa Fe was called the “City of Ladies.” Why and how did that happen? Join us to find out!
Art in New Mexico of course, did not start nor has ended with Georgia O’Keeffe. Native Americans, Hispanic cultures, and other peoples could not resist inspiration in the “Land of Enchantment.” Contemporary art thrives at The Railyard of Santa Fe. Meow Wolf, an art collective that developed an artistic adventure experience, is a testament to the continuing strength of art in Santa Fe.
WM: What are some of the curated activities you have planned? Will there be time for your independent adventures as well?
CH: New Mexico reveals its treasures sometimes in quiet and slow ways. It’s the exact opposite of something like being in Las Vegas. It took me three personal trips there to really find hidden gems, such as a magical art cave and its incredible story. Off-the-beaten-track places like Plaza Blanca and other cool spots in and around Santa Fe are also on the agenda.
I found out that I knew more sometimes than the hotel concierges.
So, all my previous fieldwork will pay off for you. We will have planned activities and ample opportunities to time to take for yourself. If you want to do more art adventures, I will take you or guide you! If you want to be with your friends and feel inspired to explore (like the Ladies of the Canyons) Santa Fe has it all. Art is our tool and connections and fun are our fuel!
WM: It seems the concept of going on a journey taps into an ancient and potent tradition reaching from Homer’s The Odyssey to Joseph Campbell’s theories of the hero’s journey—what we are particularly intrigued about is how you have structured the journey for your travelers as both an interior exploration and an exterior adventure through a landscape that has supported and inspired so many who came before. What are your thoughts about journeying, and the sort of journeys you hope fellow travelers will experience?
CH: It’s my goal that by joining me on this journey around Santa Fe, travelers will gain the ability to advance in their own interior journeys and experience new and deeper connections to beauty in their lives going forward. Whenever I was in New Mexico, I kept trying to put my finger on just what the heck was so darn cool about it. It took a lot of thinking and feeling to distill how I wanted to structure the journey. It’s this essence that I want to share! It’s not just one thing, it's the combination of elements that synergize and help you re-find your vibrancy and motivation for living an enriched life. Food, nature, art, and camaraderie are ALL on the menu to stimulate your senses and tap into an interior journey that will help you discover a deeper connection to yourself.
WM: We understand the current New Mexico art scene will be a key part of the trip. What sorts of activities will the travelers get to enjoy? Do you find a sense of continuity between New Mexico’s art traditions and its current expressions?
CH: We will visit current Native American artist studios, the contemporary art space Site Santa Fe, and galleries in the area that are a hot spot for contemporary creative expression.
WM: As all three of us in this conversation (Claudia and Sarah and Courtney) are appraisers, we’d love to hear more about your perspective on how your appraisal training and connoisseurship background enhances your appreciation of New Mexico’s art traditions. Does your professional background help you more effectively translate these inspirations to your travelers on the art adventure?
CH: I have been immersed in art my whole life! My mom is an art dealer and in addition to having art from floor to ceiling in our home, I accompanied her on art trips to places like Haiti and Europe. I’ve seen a lot of art in my time. As an appraiser, you work hard to keep up with trends and connoisseurship in the art world. You are examining the art market all the time. So that fabulous store of knowledge is ideal when it comes to sharing about art. People look to art appraisers for trust and expertise. We are enmeshed in your passion assets. We need to be people-friendly professionals and have the ability to explain and quantify art.
In terms of being an appraiser and creating this trip, sometimes you don’t really know how much you know until someone points it out. People kept begging me to take them to museums and art places: “because you are so fun and know so much!” It gave me the inspiration to expand the concept to a multi-day trip. I love sharing my passion and knowledge for art. I love sharing my passion and knowledge for art, and I’d love for others to benefit from the power of art as well.
WM: How can our readers find out more about this trip?
CH: The current trip link is: https://tri.ps/iMQ9W. I am planning another trip around the middle of September of this year and I would need to know of your interest in participating as soon as possible due to the area’s extreme popularity and shorter window of opportunity due to colder weather.
If you have a group of 6-10 people that you’d like to share this awesome experience with together, I’d like to honor that and schedule a custom trip during the warmer months there: middle May to middle October.
Since I will continue to offer these adventures to New Mexico and other art spots around the United States, shoot me an email at: hessartadvisory@gmail.com or call me at (925) 997-8133 to get on the email list to receive updates about future trips.
In the future I am looking to curate art adventures to Crystal Bridges combined with a Kansas City adventure or Marfa/West Texas. It’s going to be a blast!
WM: How can people also find out more about you and your appraisal firm and stay in touch with you online?
CH: Please visit hessartadvisory.com.
As a last gift, I’d like to give your readers an interview link of Lesley Poling-Kempes. She is the author of the book Ladies of the Canyons, which inspired me so deeply. It is this spirit of giving that I’d like for all of us to keep in our hearts.
I hope to see you on the trail someday if this type of adventure is calling you!
Many thanks to Claudia for taking the time to speak with Worthwhile Magazine!
Claudia Hess is the founder of Art-Full Adventures and owner of Hess Art Advisory, an art appraisal firm based in San Francisco, California. You can find Claudia and learn about her latest trip at https://tri.ps/iMQ9W and check out her appraisal firm at https://www.hessartadvisory.com/
Copyright Worthwhile Magazine 2020