Santisima

Ok, let’s just say Johnny is AMAZING! He used to be a concierge, so before embarking on any trip/​ride though NM, stop by and see him. He is a perfect tour guide to give you insider info on things to see «outside» the tourist traps! On to his gallery… I was never into «day of the dead» until listening to the history, stories, folklore and legend. What incredible knowledge Johnny has! To say the least… He is like an encyclopedia of knowledge that you should here. The Zac Brown Band has visited his gallery and even commissioned an artist to do their cover art of their latest album!!! This place is tiny, brilliant, full of life, JOHNNY IS THE BEST! We will be back!

Old Town Albuquerque is a fun place to poke around but after a few blocks you’ll find yourself quickly bored by the same cheap touristy nick-​knacks over and over again. There are only so many Kachina dolls or turquoise necklaces you can stomach in a day. And then, in the midst of all of these tourist traps is Santisima — the type of gallery I came to Old Town searching for!
Unlike most of the other folk art shops in the area, Santisima has truly unique artwork by exciting artists like Brandon Maldonado. It is art that’s representative of the area and it’s diverse culture but is also something that I would hang on my wall. The gallery is small but it hit the spot just right for me today. I easily could have scooped up 30 different pieces of art and left with a satisfied smile on my face. I will definitely be returning and grabbing a print or two before I head back home! The prices were reasonable enough to justify a spur-​of-​the-​moment purchase for pretty much anyone.
I also want to mention that the owner was great while I was there. He was just the right amount of friendliness sprinkled with enough ‘I’ll leave you alone to browse’ to make me feel welcome.
By far this was my favorite shop in the area and possibly the best I’ve been to in the city!

No visit to Albuquerque is complete without a visit to this amazing shop; it’s an art museum as much as it is a store. The owner is a super-​friendly guy and he has gorgeous, unique stuff. He’s very fun to talk to — very welcoming. Everytime I go, I buy something — that’s a must.
When I visited last October, I bought this beautiful pair of Frida earrings (see my photo). They were not really my style, but were just so pretty — they were a must have. They have since become MY style, because I wear them all the time and they always get noticed. I recently went to the Frida/​Diego exhibit at High Art in Atlanta and wore them — I received a lot of compliments on them. I love them.
The shop is in an great building — you have to walk upstairs to get to it. I love this area of Old Town.
Visit here. Even if you don’t intend to buy anything (I dare anyone to walk away without buying something), it’s a great place to just see all the fantastic art he has — and you will meet someone who is really nice! Trust me!

I simply LOVE this place and its owner, Johnny Salas. This is by-​far my favorite stop (besides visiting family) in Albuquerque. I come to Santisima always wishing my apartment was bigger and that I could display more art from here. Go here if you want some amazingly fun artwork and to visit with a great guy — you’ll be glad you did.

This is the first place my husband and I stopped after landing in Albuquerque. We were on our way to Santa Fe and decided to stop in old town ABQ first. I am SO GLAD we found this shop. In fact, had I known the crappy touristy stuff that awaited us on the rest of our trip, I would have purchased more from here.
Johnny Salas was at the store the day we were there and we immediately fell in love with his glittery shadow boxes. So hard to decide which one to purchase! Johnny could not have been more friendly and helpful. He pointed out several things in the store that we had overlooked, gave us loads of advice on things to see in New Mexico and restaurants to eat at. When we finally decided on a shadow box, he even personalized the back to us. A really sweet, kind and thoughtful touch.
The shop is full of artwork made by local New Mexico artists. Much of it had a folk art feel to it. Really lovely work and it is so gratifying to be able to support local artists. I definitely plan on calling Johnny to acquire a few more pieces and hopefully have them shipped to me!
If you appreciate local artwork and are looking for something unique, this is a MUST STOP while in New Mexico.

based on Unilocal saying it was the best place in old town, i went.
overrated for sure. half the stuff is skeleton artwork (think grateful dead). the other stuff seemed okay but expensive. i don’t claim to be all that artsy, but i think i can appreciate somethings. but just don’t know what i am missing.

This place is one of only a few in the Old Town area that isn’t hawking some obnoxious touristy crap. We pretty much spent our entire shopping budget for our vacation here. It’s tucked away, upstairs in one of the alleys, but if you only go to one shop in Old Town, make sure this is it.
Also, the guy working was super friendly and extremely knowledgable about the pieces and the artists. After talking to him and hearing the fascinating details of these local artists, we found we couldn’t leave Albuquerque without bringing a (beautiful) piece of it with us.

Aww, I wish I could pluck this place up and take it back to Ohio with me.
Santisima is a small shop, which would easily be missed if it weren’t for the wooden sign with the pointing arrow showing you back to a rickity metal staircase. You’re greeted by the Lady of Guadalupe and a day of the Dead skeleton as you make your way into the cool dwellings and into the small shop, which houses a mecca of crafts based on religious and personal inspiration.
This was another wonderful place in my journey through New Mexico where if I had the money and the space, I could have easily filled my car to brim, with all the wonderful folk art work here. They had SOO much Frida Kahlo inspired art work here as well as some Lady of Guadalupe and TONS of the Dia De Los Muertos art work that I was in awe, and had to look the shop over a few times to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
Though the shop is small, it’s worth a visit to those who appreciate the folk art of the southwestern and Mexican culture. I’ll definitely be back, and the little old lady shop owner was SOOOOO freaking nice! I hope this place is still in business for many years to come!

I’M IN LOVE!!! Thank you Johnny Salas!!! This place is AMAZING!!! I just adore this wonderful little shop. One of a kind. Not like all of those little shops that carry stuff made in china. Johnny was very knowledgeable about all the art he carried and was extremely helpful. I can’t wait to buy an original. GREAT PRICES.

Some really fantastic artwork in this store! Definitely check it out if you’re into Dia de los Muertos type of art. Very unique and one of a kind stuff that is sure to please.

Freaking awesome place! There was a lot of original art, which I was really happy about. The owner was very sweet too. I wish we had this store in Los Angeles!

I love this shop! The stairs were a little scary, but that’s my issue. This place made my eyes happy and we purchased a Brandon Maldonado print called Roses.
Go here if you’re in Albuquerque and want to see some really cool Art and not just the mass-​produced ‘folk’ art so common in so many of these little shops that cater to tourists.
This is the kind of place I look for in L.A.

Every time I’m in ABQ I stop here. Great Dia De Los Muertos swag. I can’t wait to go back.
_​C$

AMAZING local religious folk art. The gallery is located in an upstairs portion of the Poco A Poco Patio plaza. I wanted to buy everything in the store. It has very hip and colorful mixed media art which I was instantly a fan of. The prices for the pieces are pretty standard (i.e. pricey). If you want to get yourself a hardcore souvenir I suggest you go here first. Most of the work here is Mexican inspired. Lots of Virgen de Guadalupe work too.