Santa Fe International Folk Art Market

Omani Beauties led the opening procession of the 2011 International Folk Art Market. Simple wooden blocks were banged in rhythm, Frankincense dispersed a lovely fragrance and so started the largest Folk Art Market, some say in the world, which brought 132 artists from 49 countries together for another record breaking success.

This Omani beauty looked kindly down on my pups. These ladies perform, sing, play music, tattoo bodies and last year offered their brand of coffee with date paste - for free.

I love the smile on this Omani patriarch. Everyone was happy and seemed to feel festive and ready for business. Record sales numbers might get close to half a million dollars of goods sold!

This dude wore cool shades, obviously no country pumpkin.

While the prices on goods could be stiff, as much as $5,500 for one piece of fabric, which placed such surely above the average local working stiff, collectors and gallery owners scooped up the best at the $125 entry fee preview prior to the event proper. The average artist takes about $16,000 back to the community or cooperative.

Our own Akeem Ayanbisi Ayanniyi, Nigerian master of the talking drum is part of a larger local Nigerian and West African community. Obviously he looks ecstatic, I assume at the prospect of sales of drums, performing, teaching and not least meeting up with friends and partying all weekend long.

I cheered when I noticed a representative of Palestine and he seemed pleased to feel the support for a people that have gotten a really rough deal.

The opening night brought my very favorite band from the bay area, the West African Highlife Band, right to the park in my 'hood, where those seasoned musicians got those bodies moving, no matter where they had come from, how tired they might have been. This band knew how to play an infectious, irresistible rhythm, they put on a great show. What a way to welcome those 132 artists.

I love parties that are enjoyed by all ages and different cultures. After all we are all human. Those kids had a ball and so did I. No doubt the 10,000 visitors enjoyed their experiences. I already look forward to next year's event.

International Folk Art Market II

This Thai booth was the hardest one for me to resist. I loved the style of their creations, their indigo fabric, made to look and feel a lot like silk with the use of egg whites, then worked in to lose fitting clothes. The kind I would love to wear.

This Thai woman, focused mostly on her sewing, gets my vote for most attractive woman in the sense of my pleasure as I watched her appearance, her calm and centered energy while she kept herself busy and created articles of artistry, beauty and usefulness, that my heart might covet.

This shockingly beautiful woman, graceful inside and out, gifted me with a bag of Frank Incense when I expressed my pleasure about the scent that filled the air from their booth. Her eyes were truly awesome, I could not help but exclaim how beautiful she was (something I do not usually do as it is a sensitive issue with so many women.) She gets my vote (even though their is no contest) for most beautiful woman at this year's Folk Art Market.

Sitsemiso Simelane from Swaziland gets my vote for most charismatic. I thoroughly enjoyed my exchanges with this most expressive and exuberant man. He should work for Swaziland's Tourism Bureau, he gushed with such enthusiasm about the  beauty of his country, not so unlike Santa Fe, he admitted.

Most exotic to me were these ladies, there were four of them, all dressed in those bright purple robs, from the Ottoman Sultanate. They made me so curious about their life styles. Most gracious we were offered a taste of their coffee, delicious, along with date paste. These ladies danced, and painted intricate, delicate designs on bodies with Henna.

Last but not least, the by far most dazzling smile, in my not so humble opinion, goes to this Tuareg Silversmith who lit up my world and lifted my spirits as he directed it at me.

I might ad that the most ingenious creation goes to the watering object, that submerged, with the hole on top closed off with one's thumb, will hold water and then sprinkle it where so desired with the release of one's thumb, awesome, if not exactly cheap earthen ware for fifty bucks, but well worth it I would venture to say. Especially when making use of rain water collected in barrels with no spouts, like mine.

Learn more about this one of a kind International Folk Art Market where the artists take 90% of their proceeds home to make a real difference in their communities. Visit their website and/or my  related flickr set and/or my prior post below, and please offer us your feedback, I would be delighted.

INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART MARKET

Yesterday's grand opening ceremony of this year's Folk Art Market on the plaza was most exciting. 

The plaza was packed, the music great, the dancing inhibited due to limited space but the energy was way high.

My canine companion Isabella-girl smiled from ear to ear, I swear. I never seen so many dogs on the plaza. Two gorgeous Party Poodles, of course always those favorite Chihuahuas, but also one lumbering huge Bernese Mountain Dog and a variety of Mutts like mine.

More recent photos with more explanations will follow.

These are from prior, cherished events, now in it's 7th year.

You can visit the Folk Art Market website and learn about the astounding details of this market's success.