Get The TechniqueToday's post was written by Kate, an employee who loves folk art and wants to remind you about the amazing Santa Fe International Folk Art Market.
"Now in its eighth year, the market will take place this year from July 8 to 10 on Museum Hill in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This year, more than 150 master folk artists were selected to participate in this colorful, creative event attended by over 22, 000 people. I have seven girlfriends meeting me in Santa Fe this year for a fun weekend. Let me show you this amazing event with the photographs that I took last year. So without having to book an international airplane ticket, you could attend this event and experience multiple cultures and folk art that will be showcased in the largest event of its kind in the world.
I would like to introduce you to some of the talented artist and cooperatives:"
1 Janet and her sister founded the Gahaya Links Cooperatives to turn Rwanda’s basket-weaving tradition into a source of livelihood for rural women.
2 Her model has proved successful in generating a livable income for over 4,000 women. To purchase one of these baskets, go to macys.com. Type Rwanda in the search box.
3 Rebecca founded the women’s organization Umoja (which means unity). The Kenya women make beautiful traditional hand-strung, colorful beaded necklaces. The website for this cooperative is www.umojabeadedjewelry.com.
4 The Saraguro women of highland southern Ecuador have been creating beautiful beaded collars for many years.
5 Ana learned bead weaving by apprenticing with an older woman in her village.
6 Amina formed a women’s craft association called Golden Buttons to market this traditional craft with 400 women from her province.
7 Amina showed my good friend Willa Shalit and I the jewelry, which is made with hand-woven buttons.
8 It was good to see the Haitian artists at the Market to sell their art. The earthquake personally affected the entire artist community in Haiti.
9 Pierre Edgard makes colorful papier-mâché masks and animals. Pierre is president of a cooperative of over 300 Haitian artists.
10 His roosters were so colorful.
11 Serge Jolimeau is a master artist who makes metal art out of steel drums. He was inspired by blacksmiths in his neighborhood in Haiti.
12 He has trained many of the best metal artisans in Haiti.
13 I continuously return to the booth of one artisan, Bertha Medina, to be in awe of the hand carved details of her designs on gourds.
14 Bertha is from a small village high in the Andes of Peru and learned her craft from her father.
15 She showed me the tools she uses to carve the finely detailed design of each piece.
16 Ramu Devraj Harijan lives in northern India. The Banni region is known for quilt-making and embroidery. The men source and sew the cloth while the women complete the products with beautiful embroidery and mirrored work.
17 I purchased a beautiful handbag and a traditional cloth doll.
18 It was so wonderful to be greeted by the friendly face of David Cajo from Chijnaya, Peru. The hand-dyed alpaca yarn embroideries called Bordados are scenes from the daily life in the villages.
19 Somporn Intaraprayong works with women from remote villages in Thailand to make hand-sewn garments. I loved the design of the embroidered handbag, and her cotton clothing was coated with egg whites to give the shiny finish.
20 Elhadji wears the elegant dress of his Tuareg culture. He is from a family of famous Tuareg silversmiths in Niger.
21 His father was one of the most famous silversmiths (www.tuaregjewelry.com), and jewelry is an important art in their culture.
22 Kholiddin is a master chess maker from Uzbekistan and learned his craft from his father.
23 The details of the chess pieces were exquisite.
24 Memet began working with a group of Armenian women to produce embroidered textiles that had been passed down through the generations.
25 Each piece has intricate geometric or floral designs.
26 Rustan Usmanou produces the blue ceramics from the village of Rishtan in Uzbekistan. Rishtan is the oldest center of ceramic art in Central Asia.
27 The designs are hand painted in beautiful shades of turquoise, dark blue, and brown.
28 Addul Khatri and his brothers continue Bandhani craft, a traditional textiles art that involves intricate tying design that creates beautiful patterns.
29 The fabric is completely tied and then dyed.
Thanks Kate! We hope you have a great time at the market this year.
From: Susan | 6/25/11 at 10:17 am
Thanks for posting all these wonderful photos. I am attending the market this year for the first time. Your photos give a glimpse of
what is in store.