Ambitious Couple Foster the Growth of an Art Community

For more than three decades Warren Malkerson toiled away as marketing executive in corporate America. Now that he’s retired he’s transformed his experience into a thriving art business with two galleries in Carrizozo, New Mexico.

Warren and Joan Malkerson retired in 2004 and moved to New Mexico. They live in Carrizozo just minutes from their art galleries located on 12th Street. They opened Joan’s Art Gallery in 2005 and then Gallery 408 (known  as The Home of the Painted Burros of Southern New Mexico).  A wonderful fine art gallery with great paintings, pottery, jewelry and a gift shop. Many of the paintings were created by Joan with other work from local artists in Lincoln County. The gallery features a beautiful sculpture garden attached to it that showcases the majority of the Painted Burros under the shade of three apple trees. Joan hosts an Artist In Residence Program along with a close friend, who is also an artist. About 20 visiting artists of all different art mediums attend every year who are housed in two special buildings next to the gallery.

The couple also opened the Tularosa Basin Gallery of Photography (Photozozo.org) in 2014, which is also on 12th Street. It has grown to become the largest photo gallery in the state with the work of over 35 New Mexican photographers featuring over 1,000 images. This will be the 7th year  of exclusively hosting the  winners of the Annual New Mexico Photo Contest. All of the winning photographs will be available to purchase in person or through their website.

Warren Malerson received his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1974. For the next 35 years he worked at General Mills, Pillsbury, Pepsico, LL Bean, Faribault Woolen Mill and Gabberts Furniture. In 1968 while attending Colorado College he  met his wife Joan Bower. The couple has two wonderful children and six fabulous grandchildren. Fifty-three years later, Warren and Joan Malkerson are living the dream and building an art community in Carrizozo, New Mexico.