SWAIA artists have the option to impose health and safety protocols that they determine as safe for the event. We have heard from many artists that safety is still a priority, especially in smaller and marginalized communities that have been disproportionately affected by COVID.

We are unwilling to risk the health and safety of any of our artists and are empowering artists to make individual safety decisions.

Due to disproportionate number of COVID-19 deaths per capita in the Navajo Nation and many others where our artists call home, we made this decision to ensure the safety of our artists and control the crowds. Another factor that influenced the decision was the public health order in New Mexico, which has stayed intact much longer than surrounding states.

To date, SWAIA is continuing to hold this position as a precaution to keep our artists safe and comply with New Mexico law.

SWAIA decided to sell tickets this year to help gather contract tracing information and crowd control as a part of its Covid Safe Protocols (CSP). The ticketing was intended to allow SWAIA artists and visitors to stay within the state’s mass gathering mandates that existed at the time of planning and coincide with occupancy calculations.

The number of tickets available depend on the parameters set by the fire marshal and the City of Santa Fe guidelines for maximum occupancy of fenced events.

Tickets will be scanned, and ticket holders will receive a wristband permitting day or weekend entrance. Wristband tickets will only be eligible to scan once. Visitors may enter and leave the area during the times designated on their wristbands. The wristbands are not detachable or transferable.

The percentages of vaccinated people in NM as of June 23 is almost 60%. This leaves 40% of New Mexicans unvaccinated. Percentages of vaccinated individuals differ in other states.

Due to HIPPA and other factors, we don’t have the authority to impose such a requirement.

Yes, Covid Safe Practices (CSP) will be implemented. These depend on the most current guidelines from the CDC and State of New Mexico at the time of the event.

SWAIA stands for Southwestern Association for Indian Arts. It is the non-profit organization that produces the Santa Fe Indian Market and the Winter Indian Market. SWAIA's mission is "Bringing Native arts to the world by inspiring artistic excellence, fostering education, and creating meaningful partnerships."

The Santa Fe Indian Market is a 99-year-old Native art market. It is the largest and most prestigious juried Native arts show in the world and the largest cultural event in the southwest. The yearly event is held during the third weekend of August. Over 1,100 Native artists from the U.S. and Canada sell their artwork. The Indian Market attracts 150,000 visitors to Santa Fe from all over the world. Buyers, collectors and gallery owners come to Indian Market to take advantage of the opportunity to buy directly from the artists. For many visitors, this is a rare opportunity to meet the artists and learn about contemporary Indian arts and cultures. Quality and authenticity are the hallmarks of the Santa Fe Indian Market.

August 21-22, 2021

The Santa Fe Indian Market is located in the heart of Santa Fe, NM on its historic plaza. The Indian Market covers 14 downtown city blocks with over 600 artist booths.

The Market opens at 8 a.m. on both days.

The artists are Native/Indigenous people from over 220 U.S. Federally recognized tribes and First Nations' Tribes (Canada). It's important to remember that the Indian Market is above all a family event. To the causal observer, it may not be evident that there may be generations of artists sitting together under the same booth. Some artists have been participating in Indian Market 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and even 60+ years. The Indian Market is a direct reflection of the lives of Native people and the communities they represent; their artwork is the universal language, which speaks and becomes a part of our lives.

Unfortunately, we cannot add more booths; however, we are allowing artists to share their booths: a maximum of two artists per booth.

There are 10 kinds of art in both traditional and contemporary forms you can buy at the Santa Fe Indian Market: Jewelry, Pottery, Sculpture, Textiles, Paintings, Wooden Carvings (Kachinas), Bead Work, Baskets and Diverse Arts, which encompass a variety of items including drums, bows and arrows, cradle boards, etc., There are literally thousands of handcrafted works of art for sale.

The centerpieces of Indian Market Week are the Best of Show Ceremony and Previews of Award Winning Art, where more than $100,000 in prize money is awarded. Held on the eve of the Indian Market (Friday, Aug. 18, 2017), a work of art is selected from hundreds of submissions as the winner of Best of Show. It is the most prestigious and important award in the Native arts world. This intimate ceremony that begins 11:30 am is reserved for SWAIA members only. The Sneak and General Previews are held on the same day beginning at 5:30 pm. This is the first opportunity for SWAIA members and the general public to view the award winning artwork for the first time. To learn more about becoming a SWAIA member, click here.

Indigenous Collections is a digital market space that will support Indigenous artists through an eCommerce sales and digital content. It's scheduled to launch in concurrence with Indian Market this August.