About Us

The New Mexico Shop

The Chimayo Valley was originally inhabited in ancient times by Native Americans. The Tewa Indian word "Tsimajo" is believed to mean "good flaking stone" probably mica, which is plentiful in the surrounding hills. The Ortega Family has been in Chimayo for over eight generations. The first Ortega born in Chimayo was Nicolas Gabriel Ortega, born in 1729. It was Gabriel who started the Ortega weaving tradition. The family lived in the "Plaza del Cerro" which is located just south of Galeria Ortega. The Plaza del Cerro is the last surviving fortified Spanish Colonial plaza in the United States and is in the National Register of Historic Places. The ancestral home of the Ortega Family in the Plaza del Cerro is now home to the Chimayo Museum.

Galeria Ortega is in the former home of Jose Ramon Ortega. Jose Ramon, with his brother David, and their father Nicasio, developed "Ortega's Weaving Shop" into the widely respected business it is today. Jose Ramon passed away in 1972, and in 1985 his home was converted into Galeria Ortega by his nephew Andrew and Andrew's wife, Evita. The Galeria was opened to showcase the arts & crafts of Northern New Mexico that are a complement to the weavings that have made the Ortega name synonymous with fine hand-made weavings.

Since its inception in 1983, Galeria Ortega has been dedicated to the recognition of Northern New Mexico's multi-talented artists. Northern New Mexico's unique tri-cultural heritage is represented by its fine artists in styles ranging from the traditional to the comtemporary. When you come to Chimayo, stop at Galeria Ortega and you'll find yourself walking under the "Trees of Heaven" which Jose Ramon planted over 70 years ago and stepping into a one of a kind shop - The New Mexico Shop.