REAL Native American Jewelry~

I too would like to know..
I will meet you there OrbitOrange! You can be the voice of reason and hold me back, right?:drinks:

Yes let's do it! I will be your enabler.....err......voice of reason.

I have a very good friend who goes at least every three years or so. She has has a small gallery in a small northern Michigan town and her focus is on petoskey stones, Michigan agates and other natural stones which she artfully bezel sets them into rings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. The reason I say this is because there are so many vendors there who sell everything on the planet, you cannot see everything in two days. She loves going, and it is very, very busy. She can come home with tons of beads and stones to set. The prices are the best, which is why she makes the trip. I can only imagine the turquoise stones that can be bought there. If I lived close, I would make the trip and get there by 6am and camp by the gate. :biggrin:

Thanks for the info! Yes, I have heard it is so overwhelming you can't possibly see it all. Sounds fun though. I bet you could get some amazing turquoise cabs as well as jewelry.
 
I've been interested in getting to the Tucscon show for quite a while. It sounds incredibly vast. So much business is done there $$$$ . Well, it could be a great option for the Feb. winter blues sometime.

About Indian Market, I have mixed feelings about whether I'd like it. On the one hand, I'm extremely interested in the antiques shows going on then, where the dealers of the rarest and oldest things have their goods. At least educationally that would be thrilling. And meeting all those living artists would be amazing. But I'm not much for crowd density or buying at the highest possible price an artist would charge, which is what I expect for IM. Hmm.

I'll be in Santa Fe and Taos in Sept. and do my damage then.
 
I went to SF Indian Market about 4 years ago I think. I enjoyed looking at things but to me, it was so hectic and geared toward the big $$ spenders that I got overwhelmed.
I’m glad I went but been there, done that. Not interested in going again.
I went to an Indian Market in ABQ a few years ago. I believe it was the first year and it was very small and manageable. I met a darling potter who was very kind and funny. I really enjoyed that one. I have no idea if ABQ was able to build into a yearly market or not.
 
I've been interested in getting to the Tucscon show for quite a while. It sounds incredibly vast. So much business is done there $$$$ . Well, it could be a great option for the Feb. winter blues sometime.

About Indian Market, I have mixed feelings about whether I'd like it. On the one hand, I'm extremely interested in the antiques shows going on then, where the dealers of the rarest and oldest things have their goods. At least educationally that would be thrilling. And meeting all those living artists would be amazing. But I'm not much for crowd density or buying at the highest possible price an artist would charge, which is what I expect for IM. Hmm.

I'll be in Santa Fe and Taos in Sept. and do my damage then.
I have heard the market referred to as "Indian Markups"...but in any event, it is electric just being there.
 
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When I went to Indian Market in 2017 I didn't find much that I was actually interested in purchasing. Prices are on the higher end, although on the second day a lot of artists are trying to get rid of what they didn't sell the first day so prices go down. But a lot of things are "major items" so even if the price is good it is still $$$. The other issue for me what that I found overall things were very contemporary in style, which there is absolutely nothing wrong with, but I tend to gravitate towards more traditional designs. I also know that there has been some drama in recent years as far as artists that have shown at Indian Market for years and have come to depend on the income they receive from it not being accepted. They have also switched to an online application process which has been a barrier for some. So I do have mixed feelings about that, and I wonder if this shift in accepted artists has favored those with more contemporary art styles. Last year Gregory Schaaf (well known Native arts scholar and author) put together an alternative show for artists that were rejected or didn't want to apply to the regular Market.

All that being said I had a great time and just loved the way Santa Fe came alive with people in the streets, the opportunity to meet artists, Native bands and dancers on the plaza, ect. And I hadn't realized about all the associated shows and events in town leading up to the weekend, so I missed a lot of that stuff and felt I didn't "do it right." I didn't know about the antique art show, and this year I am as or more excited about that as actual Indian Market. Probably everything will be out of my price range, but maybe I can find something, and as jellyv said at the very least it will be a fun learning experience. So I'm excited to go back to Indian Market and dig a little deeper this time.

A couple more fun things: everyone is all decked out in their southwestern finest, so it is really fun to see from a people watching perspective. And remember how I said sometimes I feel like I'm going overboard with my turquoise and silver? Well, not there.
Total license to go crazy and wear it all. And, I'm not gonna lie, I love the food in Santa Fe and I'm totally excited to stuff my face.
 
I also know that there has been some drama in recent years as far as artists that have shown at Indian Market for years and have come to depend on the income they receive from it not being accepted. They have also switched to an online application process which has been a barrier for some. So I do have mixed feelings about that, and I wonder if this shift in accepted artists has favored those with more contemporary art styles. Last year Gregory Schaaf (well known Native arts scholar and author) put together an alternative show for artists that were rejected or didn't want to apply to the regular Market.

This happened to the annual summer art show in our town and one wonders if it's the natural progression for all art shows. After many successful years the managing committee changed the application process to admit only artists with very high-end art. Glass, pottery, sculpture that sells for thousands of dollars mostly to the wealthy or corporations looking for office art. They cut out the artists that sell jewelry, quilts, prints, clothing, etc. to the rest of us. There was an alternative show organized to run nearby but it never attracted the range, caliber and diversity of artists that the old art show did. A great loss.
 
[QUOTE="OrbitOrange, post: 33115430, member: 668396"

A couple more fun things: everyone is all decked out in their southwestern finest, so it is really fun to see from a people watching perspective. And remember how I said sometimes I feel like I'm going overboard with my turquoise and silver? Well, not there.
Total license to go crazy and wear it all. And, I'm not gonna lie, I love the food in Santa Fe and I'm totally excited to stuff my face.[/QUOTE]
Yes...there is so much more to do while at the Market....especially the food! ...Like the Shed and dining at La Fonda and shopping at eating in the Railyard District. I agree...a lot of contemporary jewelry and art. But, the stores have it all, too. I can't afford Samsville, but I absolutely love to see and touch their $4,000 turquoise necklaces all piled on top of one another like it was a dime store. :biggrin::biggrin:
 
[QUOTE="OrbitOrange, post: 33115430, member: 668396"

A couple more fun things: everyone is all decked out in their southwestern finest, so it is really fun to see from a people watching perspective. And remember how I said sometimes I feel like I'm going overboard with my turquoise and silver? Well, not there.
Total license to go crazy and wear it all. And, I'm not gonna lie, I love the food in Santa Fe and I'm totally excited to stuff my face.
Yes...there is so much more to do while at the Market....especially the food! ...Like the Shed and dining at La Fonda and shopping at eating in the Railyard District. I agree...a lot of contemporary jewelry and art. But, the stores have it all, too. I can't afford Samsville, but I absolutely love to see and touch their $4,000 turquoise necklaces all piled on top of one another like it was a dime store. :biggrin::biggrin:[/QUOTE]

The Shed’s fresh mushroom soup is tdf!
 
Do you guys want to see the bracelet I'm lusting over from the show that's in town this weekend? Of course you do. I probably won't get it because it's not cheap and I'm trying to be good, at least till I go out west this summer. But I'm tempted.

It was signed but I don't remember the artist; it was someone I didn't recognize. It was thick, heavy silver, and near flawless coral cabs. And the cabs went all the way to the edges of the cuff. So nice.

IMG_6903.JPG
 
Do you guys want to see the bracelet I'm lusting over from the show that's in town this weekend? Of course you do. I probably won't get it because it's not cheap and I'm trying to be good, at least till I go out west this summer. But I'm tempted.

It was signed but I don't remember the artist; it was someone I didn't recognize. It was thick, heavy silver, and near flawless coral cabs. And the cabs went all the way to the edges of the cuff. So nice.

View attachment 4436333
Stunning!! I feel your pain.......
 
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