In 1987, when the two, bored with New York where they shared a studio, took a trip that landed them in the Southwest history was made. As the well known story goes, they set out on a sketching trip from Denver to Mexico, however when a wheel on their wagon broke north of Taos, New Mexico became home.
"A losing flip of a gold-piece sent Blumenschein on horseback to Taos for repairs. By the time he returned to the stranded Bert Phillips, each had been smitten by the magnificence of northern New Mexico and each eventually returned to settle in Taos."
Over the next few years the two were joined by many other artists and in 1915 the Taos Society of Artists was founded. The well trained artists (including one woman, Catherine Critcher!) brought their European techniques to American subject matter.
