Santos is Art in Celebration of Our Heritage

One of the oldest living folk art traditions in the United States is the creation of devotional art that depicts divine icons and symbols, particularly Catholic patron saints.

Santos “Saints” are made with wood and bultos are painted or unpainted sculptures. Retablos are devotional paintings redder that are on wood.  

Santos use nature pigments native to the land because when this art form started priests had to travel to Chihuahua Mexico for supplies. Supplies were very expensive and this led to the use of indigenous painting techniques and material that were native to the land. This tradition dates back for over 4 centuries to when the Spanish settlers first arrived in the Southwest.