Early Saturday morning, just as the sun was rising and the 2024 Santa Fe Indian Market was kicking off in New Mexico, serious collectors were already stationed outside of their favorite artists' booths, hoping to score a piece of their work. Spanning over two days, the annual outdoor market features hundreds of booths, where patrons can peruse the new works of over 1,000 Indigenous artisans from across North America—including jewelry, textiles, fine art, pottery, and more. The annual event , now in its 102nd year, continues to be one of the city’s most popular attractions, drawing an international crowd of serious collectors to Santa Fe (with their wallets in tow).
This isn’t your average market, after all: It features some of the most renowned contemporary Indigenous artists in the world , all of whom are carrying forward their cultural craftwork and traditions in new, innovative ways. By noon, many artists were completely sold out. The excitement around this year’s market was certainly palpable.
On both Saturday and Sunday, the booths on Santa Fe Plaza were swarmed with a steady flow of foot traffic; You had to battle your way to some of Indian Country’s most popular showcasing artists. (Celebrities were even in the mix, too. Spotted in the crowds were stars like Zahn Mcclarnon, Wes Studi, and Jennifer Tilly, who walked away with a new beaded Sandra Okuma bag.
) Highlights included the striking turquoise jewelry from Nanibaa Beck ; The vibrant appliquéd shirts fr.