Romero Street Gallery — Attraction in Albuquerque

I wish I had a glowing review. I was very impressed with the many different formats of art displayed and the gallery was much larger than it appears to be from the street. I saw quite a bit that I liked, but I really enjoyed the room dedicated to art from Barry Reithmeier. So much so that I decided I'd like to buy one of his works, though deciding which was very challenging.

Unfortunately, though I stood in that area for about 40 minutes total trying to decide which to buy, not a single gallery employee said a word to me. Multiple workers walked past, but none made more than eye contact. To be fair, it was busy. This was the day before AIBF started. I'm a middle aged woman, alone, and was dressed in shorts and a tee shirt. I was a tourist, so I looked like one. I'm also a physician with the disposable income to buy whatever I want. But I can't do a self checkout like at a supermarket.

I decided to leave and perhaps come back later. I shopped around Old Town for another few hours, then decided I definitely wanted to buy something and returned. Much less busy this time. Same treatment. It's like I was invisible. Waited 30 minutes this time. People, mostly couples, were definitely being helped. It's not like there weren't enough staff. But I guess they looked at me and didn't see someone worth bothering with. So, I left again and didn't go back....

We visited last Saturday (11/1/25) during the Dia de los Muertos celebration. Upon entering, instead of a greeting, we were glared at by the two older women who work there. What a lovely welcome! I was specifically looking for artwork. As I stopped to look at various pieces, not once was I approached to see if I had any questions, etc. I'm guessing the reason for this was because I left my designer handbag and clothing at home. These women are old enough to know better than to judge a book by it's cover. A little constructive criticism, try smiling when a customer enters and perhaps greet them with a friendly "hello". If you see them looking at something, approach them, smile, ask if they have any questions. If you can't do that, you're in the wrong industry. I made note of a couple of pieces I liked and I'll see if I can find the artists online. I wouldn't give the...

I had limited time in the Plaza, and hit some of the shops rather quickly since they all seemed like every other tourist shop in the Plaza. But as I entered this shop, I realized that it was more than decals, T-Shirts and bumper stickers - they had some beautiful art and hand-crafted items that reflect the cultural history of New Mexico. I was greeted, engaged, and naturally wanted to explore. I'm interested in original art, so I drifted to the back of the building where oils, acrylics, sculptures and mixed media exist. The works I saw were amazing, the prices for the works were very reasonable. They had a wide variety of original painting styles and all seemed...