The 9th Annual Santa Fe International Folk Art Market Changes Lives and Celebrates Traditional Art and Culture from Around the Globe
July 13-15, 2012
Contact: Clare Hertel
505-670-3090
© David Evans
Santa Fe, New Mexico – When the ninth annual Santa Fe International Folk Art Market kicks off on July 13, more than 150 master artists will travel from every corner of the globe to sell their art and share their culture. Some arrive as celebrated cultural artists, while others have never before left their villages, let alone boarded a plane. Many of them are women whose art gives them financial independence that they otherwise never would have. For all of them, the trip to Santa Fe is nothing short of transformative.
And, in a year when the international spotlight has been on corporate greed and the ills of mass-produced goods, the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market is nothing short of revolutionary. The largest market of its kind in the world, it showcases master craftsmanship passed down through families, generations, and cultures: colorful beaded jewelry from Kenya; gorgeous silk scarves from Kyrgyzstan; exquisite ceramics from France.
Many of the artists come from developing countries, where the average income is less than $3 a day and where political, social, and environmental hardships can make everyday life-not to mention the creation of art-challenging. In the past eight years, artists at the Market have earned more than $12 million dollars. Last year, 90 percent of the Market’s $2.3 million in sales went directly to the artists, or an average of $17,300 per booth.
That’s a powerful bottom line: One weekend in Santa Fe provides artists the financial ability to radically improve their lives and their communities. Past market artists have gone home to build schools, houses, and wells for clean drinking water. Actor Ali MacGraw-a longtime Santa Fe resident and supporter of the arts-calls it “monumental money.”
One young Afghan weaver who sells intricately hand embroidered scarves and shawls is now able to afford to send her sisters to school. A 38-year old grandmother from a remote village in Madagascar was able to provide basic electricity and water to her village. A Rwandan basket weaver supplied women with a home garden and mosquito nets; and Maasai beaders from Kenya were able to buy chickens to feed villagers during a terrible drought. A Niger silversmith made enough money at last year’s market to buy three months’ worth of food for over 500 people in nearby villages. The money a Haitian artist earned from her dream-inspired sequin flags helped support her extended family that was left homeless after the devastating earthquake of 2010.
An Exchange of Riches
Founded in “the City Different” in 2004, the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market is truly a one-of-a-kind event, offering an unparalleled opportunity to collect treasures from around the globe and to meet the artists who created them. Last year, a record number of people attended the Market-well over 20,000-including ambassadors from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, representatives from UNESCO and the Clinton Global Initiative, and scores of Peace Corps volunteers. Designers from Donna Karan, Martha Stewart and West Elm also shopped the Market.
But the market is much more than a shopping opportunity: It’s a creativity hotspot, a place to exchange ideas and inspire and be inspired-for artists, collectors, and visitors alike. “At the Santa Fe Market, I had the chance to share information, knowledge, and experiences with all of the staff and participants from all over the world,” says Karim Oukid Ouksel, an Algerian jewelry maker who attended last year’s Market. “I also had the chance to discover firsthand the works produced by the American Indians, which have left a remarkable impression.”
Shopping at the Market is both fun and of fundamental value. A visitor can wander through booths of hand-woven baskets, intricate beadwork, and vibrant embroidery; chat about the art with the artists themselves; and enjoy Ethiopian lamb stew, carnitas, Greek dolmas and other foods from around the world. Live world music from Latin rock to Japanese Shigin chanting are just some of the main stage entertainment that will have both adults and kids dancing on the grass. Supporting the Market enables artisans like Karim Oukid Ouksel to not only raise his standard of living but to also help preserve an ancient artistic tradition. It gives Zimbabwean basket weaver Matron Mwembe the means to enroll in school and be a mentor to young women in her community.
In return, shoppers receive unique handmade pieces that come with a rich cultural history. “This is not about poverty versus money,” says Judith Espinar, co-founder and creative director of the Market. “This is about one kind of wealth and another kind of wealth, and people coming together to exchange their riches. And the richest part of the experience is the interaction between the people who buy these things and the people who made these things.”
More than 40 percent of the 2012 Market artisans are new participants, including craftspeople from Hungary, South Sudan, Uganda, and Vanuatu. Many popular artists will be returning, such as basket weavers from Rwanda, bead workers from Haiti, embroidery artists from India, potters from France, and jewelers from Niger. The Market’s selection committee, comprised of experts, including representatives from leading international museums and universities, carefully vets the work for quality and traditionality.
Yet it’s still remarkably affordable. “There are beautiful pieces in all price ranges,” says Barbara Mauldin, curator of Latin American Collections at the acclaimed Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. “You can spend a lot of money if you have it, but you don’t have to be wealthy to collect folk art.” That it’s possible to attend a major international art festival without being extravagant speaks to the core values of the Market: Cultural authenticity and tradition has much greater worth than mass-market consumerism-a philosophy that’s becoming increasingly mainstream.
Market Logistics
The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market opens on the evening of July 13 and runs through July 15, 2012 at the beautiful Milner Plaza on Santa Fe’s renowned Museum Hill. The venue offers stunning views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
To tie into the Market, Santa Fe celebrates Folk Arts Week, kicking off Friday, July 6, with festivities including an international film festival at the Center for Contemporary Arts and public events at both the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art. Many market artists also arrive the week before to participate in business development workshops that give them important skills to compete in the global marketplace.
For ticket sales and more detailed information go to http://www.folkartmarket.org.
The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market is a results-oriented entrepreneurial 501(c)(3) organization that provides a venue for master traditional artists to display, demonstrate, and sell their work. By providing opportunities for folk artists to succeed in the global marketplace, the Market creates economic empowerment and improves the quality of life in communities where folk artists live.
UNESCO has been involved with the Market since its inception, particularly through its Award of Excellence programs. The Market is an active member of the Clinton Global Initiative. Other Market partners include the Museum of International Folk Art, the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, and the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.
For more information, interview requests, and photos, please contact Clare Hertel at 505-474-6783 or.
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