Immerse yourself in Santa Fe’s famous International Folk Art Market, the world’s largest exhibition and sale of works by master folk artists. Since 2004, the International Folk Art Market has hosted more than 1,000 master folk artists from 100 countries, some venturing beyond their villages for the very first time. So exceptional is the work presented that over 20,000 people have attended this free event, which runs over five full days. This year, The International Folk Art Market will be celebrating folk art traditions worldwide in a new location, The Santa Fe Railyard Park, July 5 – 9, 2023.
The mission of the organization is to envision a world that “values the humanity of the handmade, honors timeless cultural traditions, and embraces the vision of dignified livelihoods for artists.” Considering the impact the IFAM has on a global scale, this is a vision that goes far beyond simple rhetoric. Artist earnings since the event was established have exceeded $31 million and impacted more than one million lives in the communities they represent.
In July 2022, out-of-town and resident attendees at the Market spent an estimated total of $9,855,427 outside of the Market itself and generated Gross Receipts Tax of an additional $812,159. IFAM itself paid $246,211 in Gross Receipts Tax and generated an additional $1,448,477 in contracts and salaries associated with the event – bringing the total economic impact of the 2022 Market to more than $11.5 million over five days.
Here’s how that panned out for Lila Handicrafts, a cooperative of women from a small village in Pakistan. The quilts they sell at Market have enabled these women not only to send their children to school, but to build a school in their own community, the Santa Fe Desert School.
Positive social change is a big part of what IFAM stands for. Giving these international artists not just a place to display their wares, but an audience hungry for what they produce, has a long-range effect on their communities back home. Roughly translated, that means the beaded collar you bought from Flor Maria Cartuche, a Saraguro Native from southern Ecuador, helped her community support a shelter for victims of domestic violence.
Compare the numbers: Her beadwork collective earned $26,000 in one weekend, while the average daily income per individual in Ecuador is $12.40. The shelter probably would have closed if Flor María and her fellows could not have sold their handiwork at the Folk Art Market.
This year 162 artists from 52 countries, with 39 of them being first-time participants, travel with their artwork to this vast and colorful bazaar. Purchase one-of-a-kind, handmade pieces, ranging from pottery and rugs to clothing, jewelry, and so much more. That one little purchase will have long-lasting effects beyond the item’s inherent beauty and design. It could bring positive change to our global village.
For details, visit the International Folk Art Alliance at www.folkartalliance.org, or call 505-992-7600.
Read about a special event being held by an IFAM sponsor here.
This article was posted by Olivia
