Victor Higgins

Born in rural Shelbyville, Indiana, in 1884, Victor Higgins left home at 15 to study at the Art Institute of Chicago. A friendship with Chicago Mayor Carter H. Harrison allowed him to travel to Europe and continue his studies. In the two and a half years he spent overseas, he became friends with fellow American artist Walter Ufer. A year after Higgins returned to the States, Harrison sponsored a painting trip to Taos in 1914. Ufer joined Higgins and both were struck by the quality of light and the unique landscape of the region. Higgins became a member of the Taos Society of Artists in 1917, and spent the next few years dividing his time between Taos and Chicago before making New Mexico his home in 1920. Although the Taos Society disbanded in 1927, Higgins continued to paint boldly colored images of the Southwest with a goal of producing a uniquely American art form distinct from European influence. The artist saw Taos as the perfect backdrop for this endeavor and remained there for the rest of his life.