Artist Training Program
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Twavurire Marothe, Artist Attending the Artist Training ProgramCreating art and running a business aren’t necessarily skills that go together. Sometimes they do, but often they don’t.
Folk artists come to the Market with a wide range of business skills. Some artists are members of well-established cooperatives that leverage individual members’ skills to present work at an international level, provide technical training and even offer health benefits. Other artists have developed highly productive businesses and have a keen understanding of how and where to place and sell their art. They might work with a non-profit, an art dealer, an interested individual or on their own. Still other artists are just learning how they can make a sustainable living from their work.
Empowerment for Women
Friday, June 05, 2009
I recently got back back from the Women’s Funding Network (WFN) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, “Investing in Women: Worldwide Return,” I am completely inspired and in awe by the courage, strength, and tenacity of the women behind the 125 women’s foundations and organizations across six continents involved in this dynamic organization.
I felt part of a larger and growing social movement—an effort with a shared commitment to creating lasting social change by unleashing the power and potential of women and girls. In the words of WFN,
“these ‘women funds’ invest in women’s organizations and leadership to empower women and tackle some of today’s most pressing social issues… At the heart of the movement’s heart is the belief that an investment in a woman is an investment in her family and ultimately her community and her nation—women’s funds catalyze this powerful chain reaction to forge the building blocks for a more just and sustainable world.”
So, what does this mean for the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market and my involvement? Meeting new like-minded colleagues has put our work at the Market in the context of larger global issues facing women today. I asked myself, how can the Folk Art Market help support and mobilize the efforts of marginalized and impoverished women around the world—many of whom are living on less than $1 day?
