(1860-1946), the writer, conservationist and wildlife painter who lived on 2,500 acres in the area currently called Seton Village, now has a gallery dedicated to his paintings and drawings.
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Notable for being one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America (among many other accomplishments), Seton (pictured on left) came to New Mexico with the reputation of a wolf killer who had a knack for hunting the evasive predators. He became a conservationist when he bonded with a wolf he called Lobo.
Now, a “learning landscape” has been constructed on the 86 acres of high desert Seton and his family once occupied. The result is called The Ernest Thompson Seton Gallery.
“We want to show the community that this is a place where people can come,” Academy for the Love of Learning’s Community Development Manager Melissa Stevens says. “This is a resource.”
The 30-room castle that Seton lived in, which burnt down in 2005 in the midst of restoration, has been converted to an outdoor space and is open to the public. All of Seton's removable artwork was spared from the blaze, but the concrete sculptures and wood carving on the building were lost.
"[The gallery opening] is also an opportunity to check out the ruins," Stevens says. "It's quite beautiful."
The gallery's grand opening takes place this Sunday afternoon. The afternoon features three highlighted events: a welcoming presentation by founder Aaron Stern at 1:30 pm, a book signing by Seton scholar David L Witt at 2:30 pm and a 3 pm gallery talk by Witt, who also serves as curator for the Seton Legacy Project.
The New Mexico History Museum ran a popular exhibition of Seton’s work called Wild at Heart from May 2010-2011, and with the opening of the Seton Gallery, the Academy for the Love of Learning now has a permanent exhibition space for his pieces.
Ernest Thompson Seton Gallery grand opening
1-4 pm
Sunday, Aug. 14.
Free
Academy for the Love of Learning
133 Seton Village Road
995-1860
