Show Preview | Indian Market - Southwest Art Magazine

Downtown Santa Fe, NM
August 17-18

Lisa Holt and Harlan Reano, 2012 Best of Classification winners, pottery.

This story was featured in the August 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Order the Southwest Art August 2013 print issue, or get the Southwest Art August 2013 digital download now…Or better yet, just subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!

Visitors from around the world converge in downtown Santa Fe for the annual Santa Fe Indian Market this month. The weekend event offers a rare opportunity to meet and talk with over 1,100 Native American artists, who have created an impressive array of paintings, drawings, pottery, sculpture, beadwork, photographs, and more. Works are displayed in booths that line the streets surrounding Santa Fe’s famous Plaza. Collectors can expect to see intricately beaded dolls, coral and turquoise jewelry, stained-glass mosaics, and handmade baskets. Among this year’s participants are prominent artists such as Nocona Burgess, Les Namingha, Jamie Okuma, Pahponee, Kim Obrzut, and Tony Jojola.

Jamie Okuma, 2012 Best of Classification winner, beadwork and quillwork.

The celebration features not only visual art but also a weeklong smorgasbord of music, fashion shows, and films spotlighting the Indian way of life and traditions. “Santa Fe Indian Market truly is the center of the indigenous American art world. We hope everyone enjoys what we at the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts have spent an entire year building for them,” says John Torres-Nez, chief operating officer of SWAIA, a nonprofit organization that aims to promote Native American arts and education. This year SWAIA honors Crucita Melchor, a Santo Domingo potter, and Herbert Taylor, a Navajo jeweler, with Lifetime Achievement Awards for outstanding contributions to Native American art and culture.

Admission is free to many events during Indian Market weekend. However, some special events, such as the Best of Show Ceremony and Luncheon held on August 16, require a ticket. Following the luncheon, a free roundtable discussion about the current and future direction of Native American arts takes place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the New Mexico History Museum. Panelists include museum directors from the Autry National Center, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, and the National Museum of the American Indian. The Live Auction Gala, another ticketed event, takes place on August 17. Guests bid on artworks while enjoying gourmet food and top-notch entertainment. —Bonnie Gangelhoff

contact information
505.983.5220
 www.swaia.org

Featured in the August 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art August 2013 digital download
Southwest Art August 2013 print issue
Or subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!