Folk art market sets sales record
Santa Fe international market tops $3.3 million, highest in 15-year history
Last weekend’s International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe sold $3.3 million worth of art, the most in the market’s 15-year history.
That’s up by $200,000 from last year.
Market CEO Jeff Snell said he credits efforts to attract marketgoers from a variety of angles with the success.
“If you are a collector, we provided a spotlight on the craft that is held up as best of its kind. If you are a fan of social enterprise, we put a spotlight on those stories. If you’re a fan of women’s economic opportunity or social justice or even environmental impact, there are so many ways of capturing those stories,” Snell said. “I think we did a better job this year of holding up those stories.”
Snell also said feedback from veterans of the market indicated the quality of the work has continued to improve over the years.
“Coupled with the energy around the 15th anniversary, I think we just hit on something special this year,” he said.
Around 21,000 people attended the three-day event this year, which Snell said is pretty much at capacity in its current form.
Snell thanked the team of around 1,700 volunteers who put in over 15,600 hours of work.
“They’re the secret sauce of what makes the market magic,” he said.
The theme of this year’s market was “Wear Your Impact.”
Snell dropped a hint that next year, the market will focus on “bringing your impact home.”