The International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, NM, is an enormous event involving artists, craftspeople, dancers and musicians from 60 different countries. This event that celebrated ten years of bringing the world together was held on Museum Hill, and hundreds of volunteers must work year round to make this festival operate with tremendous efficiency. Provided free were shuttle buses from downtown, red umbrellas to shield from the sun's rays to free drinking water for the people who spend hours visiting all the white tents. Some countries had their crafts displayed for sale in several tents.
The Haitian woman above worked on her representative artwork under the eyes of the pressing crowd.
I enjoy this sort of event where you can actually see people working on their art. Wish I were there!
ReplyDeleteSounds like the place to be in Santa Fe.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering how so many artists got there?......since the saying "starving artist" Is usually true. Sounds like a wonderful event.
ReplyDeleteGreat question, Janey. I pulled out my publication on the event and found two pages of Individual Donors: World, Continent, Country, Region, Village, and Community. In addition here are more facts about the event. 1,500 Volunteers make this event happen in Santa Fe and over the ten years--the market has involved 650 artists from 80 countries across six continents, over the years 1 million lives worldwide have been positively affected, more than $16 million in artists' sales, most artists earn at the market 10x what they might earn in one year in their own country and 90% of the sales have gone home with the artists and their organizations to improve livelihoods across the globe. Janey, since you live so close in the summers, you should plan to attend next year. It's an unforgettable event. Crowded but worth the experience; lots of wonderful merchandise to buy!
DeleteSounds like a plan. One of my friends here was trying to interest me in a girlfriend trip down to Santa Fe. Maybe we should just do it.....next July! Good Idea. Thanks Kate.
DeleteI would love to come see all this talent. Maybe someday!
ReplyDeleteHow fab Kate, I'm not sure I could look as serene as she, if there were a crowd watching me create :) very lovely portrait.
ReplyDeleteI will have to see this... I've been to Indian Market and Hispanic, but not this one..yet!
ReplyDeletesounds like a great time and event. What better way to spend time with other artists sharing some stories and their love for their creativity.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that they can work around that crowd. Some of those people just go on my nerves yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous! What a fantastic venue for these wonderful folks from all over the world. So much to see; I'm sure you could spend several hours there with no problem. We have an annual arts and crafts show here which is very nice, but nothing like this. Love your portrait of this beautiful Haitian woman!
ReplyDeleteRe your comment about the garage sale: I was surprised, too. But they opened the gates and let us in! A very religious family was selling everything to move to Hawaii and preach Jesus to the "natives." I think the guy had something to do with one of our fundamentalist churches and was moving on to a new ministry. Lots of money in their house and the stuff they were selling involved a lot of very expensive, elegant pieces! I don't think they've sold their house yet, though. It's on the market for about $550,000, which is high for our area.
This sounds like sort of a world's fair of arts and crafts.
ReplyDeleteIt really is, Dave. At first it's overwhelming but eventually the whole appreciation of the event sets in.
Deleteyay! enjoying randy's posts and now yours on this!
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely portrait of the artist at work.
ReplyDeleteYou have given us a lot of information and it sounds like a wonderful event. The picture is lovely.
ReplyDeleteAnother lovely portrait, Kate. Randy and you are both posting photos from the same event, but your styles are very different.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice event, there must be a lot to see, the woman looks so great.
ReplyDeleteI've heard about this event - it sounds huge and wonderful. Lucky you for being there!
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