The Northwest Territories Arts Program, in partnership with the Yukon First Nations Culture and Tourism Association and the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, is sponsoring ten Indigenous artists from Northern Canada. These artists will exhibit and sell their work at the historic Santa Fe Indian Market, which will take place from August 16 to 18, 2024.
The selected group of artists is from the Northwest Territories: John Sabourin, Darrell Chocolate, Antoine Mountain, Sheena Yakeleya, and Shawna McLeod.
The Santa Fe Indian Market is set to celebrate its 102nd anniversary, offering consumers the opportunity to buy crafts directly from the artists. Annually, it draws an estimated 100,000 visitors and around 800 Indigenous artists from various communities across North America to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Historically, there has been limited involvement by artists from NWT and Yukon at the Santa Fe Indian Market. To address this, representatives from the Yukon First Nations Culture and Tourism Association and the NWT Arts Program have formed a partnership with the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts. This collaboration aims to facilitate and endorse a selected group of Indigenous artists from these territories to exhibit, market, and engage with the 2024 market.
In addition to the two-day market, which offers artists opportunities for direct-to-consumer sales and interactions with retail gallery representatives, a host of artist-centric activities will be available. These include networking events, media exposure, fashion shows, best-in-show awards, as well as recognition luncheons and dinners.
