68th Annual Traditional Spanish Market Set for July 27-28

The 68th annual Traditional Spanish Market will take place July 27-28, 2019 on the historic Santa Fe Plaza in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Over 200 juried artists from New Mexico and southern Colorado will participate. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience and purchase painted and carved santos, weavings, colcha embroidery, straw appliqué, furniture, woodcarving, tinwork, ironwork, jewelry, pottery, and more.

The Traditional Spanish Market is a program of the Spanish Colonial Arts Society. This year’s event will include 44 youth artists, ages 7 to 17. As part of the Youth Market division, these young artists are mentored by adult artists working in their categories, while also learning business skills and building self-confidence.

The Society’s Education Director, Miquela Salazar Korte, sees this program as the organization’s most important work.

“From a cultural perspective, the Colonial art forms must be preserved and taught,” she explained. “Without the student training, mentorship, collaboration and showing the Youth Market provides, the traditional art forms would disappear with time.”

The Traditional Spanish Market is known for featuring highly skilled artists and craftspeople, many of whom rely on their art as their only source of income. Among them are practitioners of the “revival arts” such as willow basketry, bone carving, leather and rawhide work, and ramilletes.

These regional traditions remain strong and relevant today, according to David Rasch, Director of the 2019 Traditional Spanish Market.

“Centuries-old Spanish Colonial forms and techniques have matured uniquely here in the New Mexico-southern Colorado region,” said Rasch. “By innovating within established traditions, contemporary artists are breathing new life into what might otherwise be ‘lost arts’ and bringing them into the 21st century. The result is some very animated and highly collectible artwork, masterpieces of design and form that make the Market a really special experience.”

Leading up to the Traditional Spanish Market is ¡Viva la Cultura!, a week of immersive experiences, lectures, studio tours, music, and culinary events taking place July 22-26. ¡Viva la Cultura! culminates in the Spanish Market Preview at El Museo Cultural on Friday evening, July 26th with an opportunity to meet the Spanish Market artists and view 2019’s award-winning artwork.

Music and performances will take place on the Plaza Bandstand stage throughout the weekend, along with vendors offering regional foods, artist demonstrations, workshops, books on Hispanic culture, and a special Market Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.

The 68th annual Traditional Spanish Market is presented by Anthony D. Trujillo, President and CEO of Holmans USA, a leading IT provider based in Albuquerque. The Spanish Colonial Arts Society and the Market’s many artists are grateful for Mr. Trujillo’s support.

A full schedule of events is available at: spanishcolonial.org/spanish-summer-market-santa-fe/