Press

If you haven’t heard of NDN World yet, don’t worry, you will soon. In March, the Southwestern Association of Indian Arts, the non-profit that produces the 99-year-old Santa Fe Indian Market, embarked on a project with consulting partners, the Clark Hulings Fund and Free Agent Source to create a virtual gathering space. The virtual space, named NDN World, is the location of this year’s Santa Fe Indian Market Best-of-Show Awards.

“Those of us working on the SWAIA project love it so much we hope to do more projects like this. Implementing virtual collaboration and expo space on the Vircadia platform for organizations and corporate clients is a growing practice area,” said Steve Pruneau, co-owner of Free Agent Source, responsible for consulting operations.



NDN WORLD—3D, modeled after the Santa Fe Convention Center with design elements such as a kiva fireplace from the La Fonda Hotel and textiles modeled from images of Shiprock Santa Fe’s collection, now exists on the open source Vircadia Platform. Vircadia is an online metaverse: participants can connect and create with others in an immersive and interactive virtual world. 

NDN World demonstrates the non-profit’s commitment to the future, embracing new ways of showcasing Native art and entrepreneurship in an increasingly digital world. “I think it is amazing that a Native American art festival is stepping into the virtual world. All of the collaborators on this year’s Virtual Indian Market are setting the bar, embracing the future,” said Elizabeth Hulings, founder of the Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists. 

SWAIA’s Executive Director Kim Peone (Colleville Confederated Tribes/ Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) has a history of organizational leadership and enacting change. She is the first woman to lead SWAIA in the organization’s almost 100-year history. Her goals for SWAIA are both immediate and long term. 

“I immediately recognized the potential in creating a virtual space to showcase the best in Native art, to educate visitors about the North American Indigenous Nations and to gather with people from around the world,” said Executive Director Kim Peone. 

Join This Year’s Virtual Experiences:

On Saturday, August 15, SWAIA Members with Select/Premium and VIP Access will have the opportunity to attend the first-ever, live “In World” virtual awards program sponsored by JoAnn and Bob Balzer. Awards will be announced in 11 categories, including a newly designated Virtual Grand Award.

• Jewelry
• Pottery
• 2-D
• Pueblo Wooden Sculptures
• Sculpture
• Textiles
• Diverse Arts
• Beadwork/Quillwork
• Basketry
• Youth
• Virtual Grand Award 

Special Awards will be presented in the following categories:

• “Elaborate Face Masks”
• “Solidarity in our Current Times”
• “Executive Director’s Award: Honoring Your Mother and Father”

The Virtual Awards Program will begin In World at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 15, or visitors with Select/Premium and VIP access can watch the live-streamed event at SWAIA.org 

August 22: SWAIA Gala and Benefit Auction

The Gala begins at 3:00 p.m. MST followed by the Benefit Auction at 4:00 p.m.

For additional information on how to install Vircadia software on a Mac or PC and an ‘In World’ user experience guide, visit swaia.org. SWAIA will offer technical support to members throughout the month of August, Monday to Friday, 12:00 pm (Mac Users) and 2:00 pm (PC Users). 

PRESS INQUIRIES

Press interested in previewing NDN World, please contact Audrey Rubinstein to join an In-World Press Preview.

            audrey@themettaagency.com

            505.466.6992 or 505.490.5029 

 

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About Virtual Indian Market:
The Indian Market 2020 (The Virtual Edition) is Delivered By Close Collaboration Between the SWAIA, the Clark Hulings Fund, ArtSpan, Vircadia and Madpipe.

New Mexico arts leaders respond to cancellations— create new platforms for Native artists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—May 7, 2020; Santa Fe, NM: Santa Fe Indian Market and the Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists (CHF) are pleased to announce a significant collaboration aimed at providing opportunities for Native artists to showcase and sell artwork amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

The like-minded organizations, both based in New Mexico, are jointly committed to providing artists with the training and support they need to be economically successful. SWAIA’s mission, in addition to producing the Santa Fe Indian Market, is creating economic and cultural opportunities for Native American and First Nations artists. 

“The partnership with the Clark Hulings Fund arrives at a moment when SWAIA is approaching our centennial year—establishing new methods of assisting Native artists and preparing them for success in the next 100 years. We are fortunate to receive the expertise of the Clark Hulings Fund, which offers extensive art-business programming to communities,” said SWAIA’s Executive Director Kim Peone.

In addition to aiding individual Native artists, the affiliation will increase SWAIA’s organizational capacity, providing greater support and year-round economic opportunities to Native artists. This August, Indian Market’s awards program and other beloved events will be transitioned to a virtual platform. Audiences and collectors will have the opportunity to participate online at the world’s largest and most prestigious juried Native art market. The virtual platform will also accommodate more artists than the physical Market which is constrained by limited space in downtown Santa Fe. Therefore, artists who were juried in in 2020 but on the waitlist for a booth, will have the chance to participate.

“With many summer art markets cancelled, we are thrilled to create a virtual Indian Market.  The hundreds of artists who participate will not face an economic catastrophe on the heels of a medical one. Now, thanks to the work we are undertaking with SWAIA, artists will be able to showcase and sell their work virtually.

Beyond the emergency response, our collaboration also affords the Clark Hulings Fund the occasion to help Indian Market artists—and SWAIA as an organization— develop healthier, more sustainable business models. With our help, Native small businesses will be positioned to thrive over the long-term, economically and artistically. It feels good to be able to step up and deliver valuable assistance at this moment,” said Elizabeth Hulings, Executive Director of the Clark Hulings Fund.

Specific event details and programming will be posted to the SWAIA website (www.swaia.org) as they are available.

Media Contacts:

Amanda Crocker: 505.982.4526 acrocker@swaia.org (SWAIA PR/Marketing Director)
Audrey Rubinstein: 505.466.6992 audrey@themettaagency.com (Consultant Publicist)

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About SWAIA: 
The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) is a non-profit organization supporting Native American arts and culture. It creates economic and cultural opportunities for Native American artists by producing and promoting the Santa Fe Indian Market, the biggest and most prestigious Indian art event in the world since 1922; cultivating excellence and innovation across traditional and non-traditional art forms; and developing programs and events that support, promote, and honor Native artists year-round. swaia.org

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About the Clark Hulings Fund: The Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists (CHF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes the legacy of American painter Clark Hulings (1922 – 2011) by equipping working visual artists to be self-sustaining entrepreneurs. Founded in 2013, CHF showcases Hulings’ life and work as an example to today’s artists and offers them a comprehensive art-business education so that they can thrive as he did. We deliver a suite of integrated learning services continually, both virtually and in-person, via live events, digital channels and portable media formats to build professional networks of opportunity.

SANTA FE, N.M., June 29, 2020 (Newswire.com) –​​​​​​The Southwestern Association for Indian Art (SWAIA) is pleased to announce additional details about their partnership with the Clark Hulings Fund, which will launch the 2020 Virtual Indian Market on Aug. 1, 2020, while providing business training and support to Native artists. A further collaboration with Artspan.com is producing e-commerce websites and a global marketplace where visitors can easily find, experience and acquire the world’s best Native American art. 

The Clark Hulings Fund (CHF) has arranged for SWAIA to work with a third partner, Artspan, to provide websites to SWAIA artists throughout the U.S. and Canada. The CHF will deliver hands-on training to the artists, not only to help create top-notch e-commerce sites but also to teach digital sales and marketing strategies and how to employ them effectively. 

Artspan is currently working with SWAIA and the Clark Hulings Fund to create websites for SWAIA artists throughout the U.S. and Canada. These individual artist websites will be integrated into a central Native American Art Marketplace opening August 1. 

Artspan was the first website company to focus on artists, artisans and photographers. It will provide Native American artists with individual websites. The artwork on the sites will provide the inventory for an Art Marketplace which will stand in for the Santa Fe Indian Market. 

The cancellation of this year’s physical Santa Fe Indian Market, the most important juried Native art market to both artists and collectors, will now be accessible virtually year-round at the Artspan SWAIA Marketplace. Buyers will be able to purchase artworks directly from an artist’s website and through the Native American Art Marketplace— and artists will have a robust set of tools and platforms with which to run their businesses online. 

Virtual Indian Market will be live at swaia.org from August 1 through August 31—offering engaging programming and fan favorites like the Native American Clothing Contest, and a re-imagined awards program. Individual artist websites will be live for one year, with the option for artists to renew the e-commerce sites to market and sell work. 

“SWAIA’s goals are both immediate and long-term,” says Executive Director Kim Peone (Colville Confederated Tribes / Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians).  “Our first objective is to launch a solution-based platform to meet the economic needs of our artists. Longer-term goals will position SWAIA as a technology leader and innovator, able to offer increased services and support to Native artists.” 

For virtual market updates, events and a growing list of participating artists, please visit: www.swaia.org. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Audrey Rubinstein | 505-490-5029
audrey@themettaagency.com

About SWAIA: The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) is a non-profit organization supporting Native American arts and culture. It creates economic and cultural opportunities for Native American artists by producing and promoting the Santa Fe Indian Market, the biggest and most prestigious Indian art event in the world since 1922. www.swaia.org