Waxlander Gallery began 32 years ago with a simple dream. Founder Phyllis Kapp wanted to open her own studio in Santa Fe. On her 55th birthday she set off, leaving her home in Chicago with the goal of finding a new home for her art on Canyon Road. A few days later she arrived in the middle of a snowstorm, rented a room, and dedicated herself to turning her dream into reality.
Not only did Kapp achieve her dream, establishing a successful studio, she far surpassed it. Her studio grew, and she rented additional rooms in the building as they became available. She took other artists under her wing; mentoring them on their own path, and inviting them to show their art alongside hers. It was in this way that Waxlander Gallery was born.
By 2017 Waxlander was a thriving gallery, but it never forgot its roots. Phyllis Kapp’s exuberant watercolors were always at the heart of the gallery. It was still housed in the same building where it started, having expanded to the full fifteen rooms. It was also still a place where Kapp served as mentor for other artists, selecting each one herself.
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and in 2017 Kapp decided that it was time to close the Canyon Road gallery and turn to the next stage in her evolution as an artist. She’s already trying her hand with a new medium and is excited to see what’s next in her path.
