About GCAG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Grant County Art Guild was formed in 1968 to provide a bond between people sharing the same common interest in fine arts and crafts. The gallery is open from Friday through Sunday each week from May through early October. Members of the Art Guild are present from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to assist visitors and provide information about the historic building.

The Guild generally sponsors five shows each year: four for Members and one for all artists who reside in New Mexico. Visit our Shows page for more information.

Historic Hearst Church
History and art are combined in the setting of the Gold Avenue Methodist-Episcopal Church, known locally as the "Hearst Church". The adobe church is home to the Grant County Art Guild (GCAG). During the summer months, the church is transformed into an art gallery, featuring arts and crafts created by about 50 local artists.

Featured in many "ghost town" books, the Hearst Church is a popular stopping place for tourists. It was dedicated on May 18, 1898. The building construction was financed by contributions from Pinos Altos residents, along with a sizable donation from Mrs. Phoebe Hearst. Mrs. Hearst was the widow of U. S. Senator George Hearst of California. Her son was newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst. Prior to going to California, Senator George Hearst was successful in the mining industry in Pinos Altos. Out of gratitude for the wealth which the Hearsts derived from the Pinos Altos mines, Mrs. Hearst contributed generously to the church building, with the stipulation that the church contain a reading room for use by the miners. This was accomplished by using curtains to separate the reading room from the sanctuary. Of particular interest are the stained glass windows, the high wooden ceiling and the beam construction. On exhibit is an antique glass-sided hearse, used in Las Cruces from 1902 to 1912. It is said to have been used at the funeral of Pat Garrett, the sheriff who shot Billy the Kid.


Directions to Hearst Church Gallery:
Follow New Mexico Highway 15 North out of
Silver City to Pinos Altos.
Turn left at the fork (RV Park on the right),
following the road as it curves,
going 1 block past the Fort and turn left.
The Gallery is at the end of the block
on Golden Avenue.

All donations are tax deductible -- We are a non-profit organization -- Federal 501.(c).3