Contemporary Hispanic Market
Advancing the tradition of innovation
New works of art, the revival of an ancient craft and modified judging practices are enabling the 2018
Contemporary Hispanic Market to live up to its promise of providing excitement and innovation.
One-third of this year’s 133 artists are first-time participants, and at least two exhibitors’ creations have demonstrated comforting, health-related effects, says the market’s director, Ramona Vigil-Eastwood.
In addition to the nearly 50 new artists, two of the three judges are also first-timers to market weekend. The judges, all of whom have artistic backgrounds, will continue the new tradition of separately visiting each booth on Lincoln Avenue when the market opens at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 28. “All of the artists thought it was a good thing to do it that way,” Vigil-Eastwood says. Because all three judges “will go out on their own, they don’t get a chance to chitchat with each other” during the evaluation process. The three will then compare notes. Market officials will present awards to the winners at their individual spaces in the afternoon.
Vigil-Eastwood says that in addition to the Best of Show award, two first-time exhibitor awards will be presented, as well as the Felipe Santiago MD Fund Award, given to one artist in appreciation of contemporary Hispanic art. Other winners will be selected in 15 diverse categories: ceramics/pottery, fiber/textiles, precious and nonprecious jewelry, glass art, watercolors, metalwork, mixed media, acrylic/oil painting, photography, sculpture, furniture, printmaking/hand-pulled prints, pastels, woodworking and drawing.
A new market initiative is the addition of an artist specializing in the ancient craft of candle-making, a medium with immense potential that has been absent from the market’s past rosters, at least in this century, Vigil-Eastwood says. “The judges liked it, so she got in! Candle-making is a very soothing thing for her,” Vigil-Eastwood says of the artist, Juliette Martinez of Albuquerque, who immersed herself in the art to overcome personal health challenges.
Another artist whose work is sought for health-related uses is Joseph Galvan. Ophthalmologists use his illuminated etched-acrylic panels with three-dimensional effects to provide soft lighting in recovery