“By attending the Market and selling so many products, the lives of our 450 artists are improved,” she continues. “They are able to put food on the table, buy clothing for their children and pay for school fees.”

Willa Shalit, CEO of Fairwinds Trading, Inc., has a similar story to tell about the Rwandan men and women who weave baskets for the Rwandan handicraft business Gahaya Links.

“We create opportunities for these artisans by linking them with various market opportunities,” Shalit says in an e-mail. “The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market provides an opportunity to showcase their beautiful art while earning an income. Income earned from the sale of one basket can feed a family for a month or provide school supplies for children.”

At the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, visitors are able to purchase pottery from Mexico, baskets from Venezuela, woodblock prints from Brazil, embroidery from Afghanistan and Mongolia, tribal textiles from India, felt work from Kyrgyzstan and jewelry from Uzbekistan and Peru. All work sold is considered folk art, which is defined as art that is rooted in traditions coming from community and culture and expresses cultural identity. Items are utilitarian and/or decorative and can be made out of a wide range of materials including cloth, wood, paper, clay and metal.

At last year’s market there was folk art from 38 cooperatives, which represented one-third of all booths. Dealers and private businesses sponsored 14 percent of the booths. The remaining artists came on their own or were sponsored by non-profit organizations, foundations or individuals. The Folk Art Market fully sponsored 22 artists and their interpreters, covering airfare, food and lodging, through contributions from individuals and private foundations.

Artists and cooperatives have to be juried into the Market every year. A five to seven member committee of scholars, educators and collectors get together in Santa Fe to review applications.

“The most important thing we look for is artist excellence,” says Cerny. “Then we look at marketability. We never have dealers on the committee so we don’t have a conflict of interest.”
It also takes the effort of more than 1,500 volunteers sharing close to 17,000 hours of time to present the annual event. Twenty of them work year-round to assist the five-person paid staff and a 27-member board of directors.

While last year’s attendance numbers were up 14.6 percent from 2008 and stood at 23,400 people, gross revenues were slightly down from $2 million in 2008 to $1.95 million in 2009. The average gross sales per booth were $15,100. Artists retain 90 percent of their sales, with the remaining 10 percent covering Market expenses.

Although generating sales is an essential component of the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, educating artists is also an important goal for the organization. The Market’s Artists’ Training Program, which is in its fourth year and is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and UNESCO, exposes artists to practical business skills during the three-day program.

Last year, 58 participants and 37 translators visited Santa Fe’s museums, watched a Cochiti artist weave and make a drum and participated in workshops that demonstrated traditional New Mexico folk arts. They also spent an entire day discussing ideas about pricing, labeling and creatively displaying their work and learning about online marketing and how to secure loans.

“The Artists’ Training Program provides artists with business tools that can be immediately put into action at the Market,” says Cerny. “We believe that experiential learning, together with peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, can have a profound impact.”

In addition to the economic and educational benefits of the Market experience, Espinar says the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market is also about empowerment and opportunities.

“One woman from Swaziland, who attended Market for the first time last year, had no status in her tribe when she came to Santa Fe last summer because she is divorced,” Espinar explains. “When she returned to Swaziland, everything changed. She was appointed to a leadership position in her tribe. We’ve heard this kind of story from artists many times. Their lives can profoundly change after participating in this experience.”

As a way of enhancing the experience of youth attending the Market on Sunday, organizers initiated the Passport Program for kids. Children are invited to follow yellow footsteps marked on the ground that lead to a special booth where they receive a passport. Artists stamp passports with pictures of their nations’ flags while they share information about their countries with the children.

New to this summer’s Market is the Friday evening party and shopping event, which takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 9. For $125, guests can not only talk with artists and view work but purchase pieces as well.

The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market 2010 will be held on July 10 and 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Museum Hill. Early bird shopping is offered from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Saturday for $50 admission. Regular admission for adults is $10 in advance and $15 at the door on Saturday and $5 on Sunday. Children 16 and younger are always free.

For more information, call (505) 476-1197 or visit www.folkartmarket.org.