SITE SANTA FE presents Once Within a Time, a groundbreaking exhibition opening to the public on June 27, 2025, in Santa Fe’s Railyard Arts District, running through January 2026. This immersive art experience blends mythology, time, and contemporary art, creating a space to reflect on how we understand history and narrative. Featuring over 90 participants, the exhibition explores the stories that shape our collective experience.
As one of the standout Santa Fe art exhibitions, Once Within a Time provides a unique opportunity for art lovers to engage with thought-provoking themes. It’s a must-see addition to any Santa Fe itinerary!
An Art Experience Bridging Past and Present
SITE SANTA FE’s 12th International Exhibition, Once Within a Time, curated by Cecilia Alemani, offers a compelling look at how contemporary art can shift the way we think about time, storytelling, and material through the lens of key figures in New Mexico’s history and mythology. Featuring a wide range of mediums, the exhibition resists linear thinking and instead loops back through shared symbols, materials, and gestures.
As visitors move through the immersive exhibition, they are invited to reconsider how time influences perceptions and storytelling. These works aren’t passive; they invite reflection, interaction, and a sense of presence that’s rarely found in static displays. With Santa Fe and New Mexico figures of interests highlighted throughout the many exhibition venues, the exhibition becomes a sprawling family album of local lore, history, and mythology in which artists engage with their stories and generate new narratives of place.
This is an exhibition where the blend of traditional techniques with cutting-edge approaches is not just a stylistic choice but a deliberate act of reinterpreting art history. The innovative use of materials and methods creates a conversation between the past and the future, suggesting that art is not only a reflection of where we’ve been but also a blueprint for where we are headed.
The result is an experience that feels timely and rooted in experimentation — an exhibition that transforms space into something shared, present, and in motion.
Featured Artists and Works
This year’s exhibition will feature over 90 artists working across a wide range of mediums, including film, sculpture, textiles, and performance. The works on display reflect the theme of connecting mythology with contemporary issues, using narrative and symbolism to explore the complexities of identity, tradition, and modern life. As always, SITE Santa Fe presents art that challenges perceptions, inviting visitors to engage with intellectually stimulating works that spark dialogue and reflection.
Among the participants this year are artists whose practices span both medium and message in powerful ways. Photographer Louise Lawler examines the context and consumption of art itself, while Simone Leigh’s sculptures bring Black feminist thought and diasporic histories to the foreground through evocative form and material.
Louise Bonnet contributes emotionally charged paintings with surreal and exaggerated figures, and Raven Halfmoon’s monumental ceramic works bridge Indigenous tradition and contemporary expression. In photography, Will Wilson reimagines portraiture through a Diné (Navajo) lens, offering nuanced counter-narratives to historical representations.
These five artists represent just a fraction of the artistry on view. The exhibition features an extraordinary lineup of emerging and established voices from around the world, each offering fresh interpretations and unexpected approaches. There’s an abundance of work that will surprise, challenge, and stay with you long after you leave the gallery.
You can find the full list of participants on the SITE Santa Fe website.
Why Visitors Should Attend
Once Within a Time at SITE Santa Fe presents a compelling opportunity to engage with art that explores contemporary issues through the lens of mythology. The exhibition’s design encourages a variety of interpretive pathways, allowing each visitor to find their own understanding of the work.
The exhibition offers a thoughtful exploration of global themes across diverse mediums. To fully appreciate the depth of the pieces, it’s recommended to spend at least 90 minutes on-site. The exhibition is so layered that each visit reveals something new, inviting multiple returns for fresh insights.
For those looking to engage with Santa Fe’s cultural attractions, SITE Santa Fe stands out as a must-see destination in the city’s art scene.
Planning Your Visit
Location: 1606 Paseo de Peralta
SITE Santa Fe is located in the Railyard Arts District, a convenient stop for those exploring Downtown Santa Fe. The exhibition Once Within a Time opens to the public on Friday, June 27, 2025. Weekday mornings tend to be the quietest, giving visitors more space to take in the work.
Parking is available throughout the Railyard, with metered street spaces and paid lots nearby.
With guided tours and educational programming offered year-round, SITE Santa Fe is a strong addition to any weekend itinerary.
Opening Weekend
The opening weekend includes several public events. It begins Friday, June 27, at 6 p.m. with a free community gathering, followed by a DJ set by Devendra Banhart at 10 p.m. On Saturday, June 28, curator Cecilia Alemani leads a talk and artist panel at 2 p.m. The weekend wraps up on Sunday, June 29, with performances and gallery talks at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, a partner venue for the exhibition.
Find current hours, opening weekend events, and parking details on SITE Santa Fe’s Planning Your Visit page.
About SITE Santa Fe
Founded in 1995 with the launch of its first International Biennial, SITE Santa Fe has become a vital force in contemporary art, known for presenting bold, experimental work that engages with urgent global and social issues.
Through major exhibitions, artist commissions, performances, and public programs, SITE supports both established and emerging artists while creating space for dialogue around the most pressing ideas of our time.
As a nonprofit art foundation, SITE offers a robust calendar of talks, screenings, and educational initiatives designed to connect art with audiences in meaningful ways. From school tours and workshops to thought-provoking panels and community collaborations, SITE prioritizes accessibility and relevance in everything it does.
Family-friendly offerings, including interactive installations and hands-on learning opportunities, ensure that younger visitors feel welcome. If you’re wondering whether SITE Santa Fe is a good fit for kids — the answer is yes. Its programming is designed to spark curiosity across all ages.
The Impact of the Exhibition
Once Within a Time takes its name from a 2022 film by Santa Fe–based filmmaker Godfrey Reggio. The film’s blend of fable and dystopia informed the exhibition’s nonlinear approach, where layered narratives and shifting perspectives examine how stories shape shared memory and space.
Alemani’s curation brings together over 90 participants in a thoughtful presentation that contributes meaningfully to ongoing conversations in contemporary art. Works throughout the exhibition encourage direct, thoughtful engagement with installation art, often incorporating symbolic references drawn from mythology in modern art.
The result is an exhibition that creates room for visitors to reconsider their relationship with time, narrative, and collective experience.
An Invitation to Reflect and Reimagine
SITE Santa Fe has long been a beacon for New Mexico contemporary art, and Once Within a Time continues this tradition by offering an invitation to engage with the complex interplay of narrative, history, and possibility.
The exhibition encourages visitors to reconsider their relationship with time and the stories that shape our understanding of the world. It’s an opportunity to interact with thought-provoking installation art that addresses contemporary issues and explores the space between the fantastical and the real.
Visit SITE Santa Fe to see this exceptional exhibition firsthand. It’s a rare chance to encounter powerful, timely work brought together with clarity and vision.
For more information, ticketing details, and to stay updated on special events, visit the SITE Santa Fe official website.
This article was posted by Jess
