NICHOLAS HERRERA
above photo credit: David Michael Kennedy
About Nicholas Herrera
Nicholas Herrera is an Outsider / folk artist from Northern New Mexico. His relatives were among the early settlers who came to New Mexico with Onate in 1598. Nicholas is a descendent of landowners, farmers, artists, and soldiers.
As a young man he walked a wild and precariously thin line until a sudden near-death experience, involving a car accident, transformed his trajectory in life.
He now lives a simple life in pursuit of meaning and metaphor through his art as a modern Santero who creates bultos, retablos, and large-scale works from recycled metal. Through the use of wood, natural pigments, and mixed media, Nicholas has exhibited works both locally and nationally that reflect the heritage of traditional santero art and address important contemporary social and political views. His strong personality and his independent spirit determine his powerful paintings and sculptures that depict — aside from the religious icons of his Catholic faith — images of the hardship of rural life, the demons of drugs and alcohol, and the horrors of war and terrorism ...
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... Nicholas’ artistic abilities are diverse and each piece speaks of a spiritual nature that transcends traditional religion. He has many life accomplishments with worldwide recognition. His art is featured in over 30 museums worldwide, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Nicholas has also been referenced or written about in hundreds of books and publications including two biographies, Nicholas Herrera: Visions of My Heart and High Riders, and Saints and Death Cars: A Life Saved by Art. He has also received numerous awards and recognition, including the 2006 Award of Distinction from the Folk Art Society of America.
Nicholas has a rich history of supporting and helping others find their own artistic path and to give back to the community. From teaching small school children and troubled teens how to make retablos, to galvanizing a group of artists to create an alter screen for a renovated church, Nicholas has developed his craft fully. His inherent talent, and natural need to create, reveal a deep connection to his past. Nicholas has taught children’s workshops through the Spanish Colonial Art Society, the Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe, the Chicano Arts Festival in Denver, and at the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum in Los Angeles, among others. Through the years, Nicholas has provided many free seminars and lectures at public libraries, area schools, museums, and churches. Not only has he opened his home to the local youth through residential apprenticeships, he frequently shares his story, art, culture and heritage with international, national and local visitors. Nicholas is still truly a New Mexican “village artist,” residing on his family’s land within the community in which he grew up.
Nicholas has donated countless pieces of art so that organizations, nonprofits and public programs as well as personal friends in need, may benefit by the sale or auctioning of his artwork. He has made numerous donations to museums worldwide as an effort to unify people and cultures. He continues to assist the local moradas and churches with restorations and renovations of religious artwork.
Selected Awards and Honors
Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, New Mexico, 2016
National Folk Art Society, National Award of Distinction, 2006
Selected Collections
Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, Albuquerque, NM
American Folk Art Museum, New York, NY
American History Art Museum, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC
Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Couse-Sharp Historic Site, Taos, NM
DePaul University Museum, Chicago, IL
El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM
El Museo del Barrio, New York, NY
Espanola Convento Museum, Espanola, NM
Flatwater Folk Art Museum, Brownsville, NE
Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO
Fowler Museum, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Gene Autry Museum of American Heritage, Los Angeles, CA
Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Harwood Museum of Art, Taos, NM
Herberger College of Fine Arts, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
La Inglesia de Ojo Caliente Museum, Ojo Caliente, NM
Longwood Center for the Visual Art, Farmville, VA
Luce Foundation Center for American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Malvern College, Music Building, Worcestershire, England
Millicent Rogers Museum, Taos, NM
Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Museum of American Folk Art, New York, NY
Museum of Heritage and Arts, Los Lunas, NM
Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, NM
Museum of Spanish Colonial Arts, Santa Fe, NM
National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, IL
Pecos National Historic Park, Pecos, NM
Price Tower Arts Center, Bartlesville, OK
Regis University Collection of New Mexican Santos, Denver, CO
Ross Art Museum, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH
San Andrea Della Valle Theatine General House, Rome, Italy
Sangre De Cristo Art Center, Pueblo, CO
Santa Fe Children's Museum, Santa Fe, NM
Sheldon Museum of Arts, Lincoln, NE
Smithsonian National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC
The Southern Ohio Museum, Kenny Galleries, Portsmouth, OH
Tia Collection, Santa Fe, NM
Spanish Colonial Art Society Collection, Santa Fe, NM
Taylor Museum, Colorado Springs Fine Art Center, Colorado Springs, CO
The Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, IL
The Terra Foundation of American Art, Paris, France
University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
William and Ann Oppenheimer Collection, Richmond, VA
2025
New Mexico Magazine. From Hard Times to Holy Roller. Michael Abatemarco
2024
The New York Times. Once a Bad Boy, Now a Saint Maker, With a Major Solo Museum Show, Emily Wilson
Looking and Seeing. Nicholas Herrera: San Isidro II, by John O’Hern
Evokation. Pasión: Nicholas Herrera. Kelly Koepke
Harwood Museum. Nicholas Herrera: El Rito Santero
The Albuquerque Journal. “In My Blood”: Santero Nicholas Herrera Weaves Catholic Devotion with Car Culture. Kathaleen Roberts
Taos News. Rebirth in Wood: The Art of Nicholas Herrera, Ekin Balcioğlu
Bob Eckert Photography. Nicholas Herrera, El Rito Santero, Bob Eckert
Elephant. Nicholas Herrera Had a Brush With Death, Now in His First Solo Museum Show His Work Is Very Much Alive, Meka Boyle and Lissette Emma
2022
Evokation. El Día de los Muertos: Nicholas Herrera. Jana Gottshalk
2021
Classic Chicago Magazine. Dispatch from Taos Saints, Automobiles, and Art Lenore Macdonald
Evokation. Los Tres Modernos: A Santero Tradition Reenvisioned, Susan Guevara
2020
Albuquerque Journal. Artists Send Hopeful Messages with Works. Kathaleen Roberts
2017
NM PBS ¡Colores! New Mexico Santero Nicholas Herrera
Recuerdo: Nicholas Herrera - Land, Water, Art. Produced and Directed by Christopher Beaver
2016
Pasatiempo. 2016 Governor’s Awards, Redemption Song: Mixed Media Artist Nicholas Herrera. Michael Abatemarco
Fine Art Connoisseur. Politics and Culture Meet Realism, Andrew Weber
American Art Collector. Vívido: Nicholas Herrera & Patrick McGrath Muñiz
2015
NPR. Jesus in A Lowrider: El Rito’s Santero Carves Saints in Modern Clothing. John Burnett
Pasatiempo. Painter-sculptor Nicholas Herrera at Evoke. Michael Abatemarco
2011
High Riders, Saints and Death Cars: A Life Saved By Art. Elisa Amado, photography by John T. Denne. Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press, Toronto, Canada/Berkeley, CA
2003
Nicholas Herrera: Visiones de Mi Corazón/Visions of My Heart. Essays by Cathy L. Wright, Chuch Rosenak & Charles M. Carillo. Photographs by John T. Denne
Smithsonian American Art Museum. Artist Nicholas Herrera
Smithsonian American Art Museum. Meet the Artist: Nicholas Herrera video
El Rito Art Association. Nicholas Herrera
Santa Fe Magazine. I Made Me: Nicholas Herrera.
Available Work
Santa Lucia, (patron saint of the eyes)
Ultima Paranda
14 x 12 x 3.5CLICK FOR INQUIRY
Coraźon Abierto
La Delta
49 x 35 x 22
El Vacquero
25.5 x 16 x 12
Invierno en el Norte de Nuevo Mexico
Pendejo Hike Club
Puedes Entrar
Corazón de Dodge
San Isidro
Basta No Mas
La Luz de la Virgin de Guadalupe
Penitentes del Norte
All Mas Benditas, All Mas Santas
Nuestra de Senora de Guadalupe
13.5 x 11.5
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
Corazón de Paz III
Leñeros en el Otoño
Salvacíon
San Isidro II
El Dia de San Juan Deer Dancers
Bendicíon de mi Chevy
Cristo de mi Corazón III
Corazón Pesado III
Corazón Salvado
Ángel de los Muerte (Angel of Death)
San José
Corazon de Fierro
Bendicíon
El Pomo del Corazón
Pachuco Muerte
St. Kevin
La Fiesta de la Casa Nueva
16 x 24
Zozobra
San Jose
28 x 23.5 x 2.5
El Mano de Corazón
22 x 20
Dolor
Corazón de Paz
9" x 8" x 6.5"
Corazon de Fierro
Cristo de mi Corazón II
22.75 x 19.5 x 5.5
Espiritu des los Mujeres Santas
72 x 55
El Rito Summer
24 x 24 x 2
La Bendición de Los Muertos
16 x 28 x 12.5
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
29.5 x 18.5
Tormento
Espiritu
57 x 42 x 11.5
Justicia
17 x 15 x 1.75
El Rito Santero
El Purgatorio y el Diablo
Justicia
Corazón de la Virgen de Guadalupe
22" x 21" x 3"
San Pasqual with Pizza
Las Cruces
48 x 5.25 x 36
San Roque
45 x 28
San Miguel
Inferno
48 x 23.25
Compasión
14.5 x 32.5 x 17.5
Espiritos de la Ventana
58 x 35
Corazónes en Llamas
9.5 x 7 x 7
Rancho Alegre
24 x 18
Dia Soleado (Sunny Day)
Cruz de los Siete Dolores
44 x 33 x 3.5
Cruzar Picaporte
40.5 x 27
La Boda de los Muertos
Corazon
Cruzando La Frontera
Tuercas y Tornillos
Tuercas y Tornillos II
Santitos de mi madre
33.5 x 13 x 6
La Comienza de la Lumbre/The Beginning of the Midnight Fire
Despues de la Lumbre/After the Midnight Fire
Corazón Truncado
22.5 x 17.5 x 4.5
San Drogo
12.75" x 8" x 8"
La Tierra O El Muerte
12.5 x 14 x 7
Cristo de Mi Corazón
22 x 18 x 8
Corazón De Requiado
19.5 x 14.5 x 1
New Mexico Cruise
4 x 5
Estribo de Corazón
7 x 6 x 2
Por El Amor de Dios
26 x 25
El Mayor Domo
15 x 20 x 11
Por Tu Pasion, II
34 x 26 x 6
Trabajando en El Rancho
23.75 x 29.75
Corazón Quebrado
20 x 16 x 1
Rosas Para Ti
21.5 x 16.75 x 2.75
Cristo Crucificado III
21 x 16 x 6
Mi Corazón Mestizo
25.5 x 17 x 14
Siete Hermanas
34 x 11
Cruz y Alma
34 x 11
El Diablo
16 x 36.5 x 15
Cristo Con Los Antepasados
12 x 6.75 x 3
St Cecelia Patron Saint of Music
42 x 25
Key to my Heart
25 x 22 x 3
Zozobra
13.5 x 6 x 4
Espiritu del Cerebro
23 x 19
Santa Rita
16 x 5.75 x 6.5
Corazón Rebelde
9.5 x 5.5 x 4.25
Pescando Malos Vicios
28.5 x 30 x 19
Corazón Cerrado
24 x 5 x 23.5
Yo Soy El Gallo
48 x 53 x 19
Wagon Wheel Cross I
14 x 12.5
La Cruz de mi Alma
38 x 26.25 x 5.5
Cristo Crucificado II
32 x 23 x 9
Alma de Corazón
19 x 21
Forgive Them
16 x 20.75 x 11
Santuario, Retablo
9.5 x 10.5
Santero del Rito
11.25 x 13.5
La Luz de la Virgen de Guadalupe
30.75 x 25 x 9
Espiritu
51 x 33.5 x 5
Adam and Eve
22 x 14.5 x 1.5
El Baile
20 x 23.5
Corazón de Oro
23x19x1
Fiesta de los Muertos
24 x 24
La Fiesta del Rito
23 x 48 x 5
Espiritu del Corazón
24 x 24
Corazón di Cristo
32 x 15.5
Bone Yard
24 x 24
Tres Cuentos
39 x 23
Still Pumping at 51
17 x 18 x 10
Santuario de Chimayo
33 x 24 x 5
Santiago
15 x 24
San Isidro
24 x 36
Santa Gertrudis
46 x 34
Romper el Mustang
20 x 23.5
Rancho el Rito
19 x 18
Rancho del Oso
21 x 34
La Ventana De Los Santos
36 x 31 x 5
La Luna de Caballo
16 x 20
La Boda Espiritu
53 x 7 x 48
Infierno I
39x x 31 x 13
Fantasmas des Búfalos
24 x 49
