The 2023 International Folk Art Market to Take Place in Santa Fe’s Railyard Park 

July 5-9, 2023

December 6, 2022, Santa Fe, NM – In July 2023, the International Folk Art Market (IFAM) will kick off its annual summer event in a new location, the Santa Fe Railyard Park. As a member of the Santa Fe Gallery Association’s Railyard District, and with the year-round IFAM Center located a block away, IFAM is excited to hold the world’s largest folk art market in its own neighborhood. “The Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation and the Railyard Conservancy are amazing partners. IFAM had very successful Community Celebrations in the Railyard a decade ago and we are thrilled to work with them again in concert with the local businesses and organizations that make the Railyard such a sought-after destination for locals and visitors alike,” shared IFAM CEO Melissa Mann. “The presence of IFAM on the Railyard brings to a full circle the original intention for the use of the Railyard. We are very excited to add another keystone event to the Railyard“ noted the President of SFRCC, Steve Robinson.

IFAM has been enormously blessed to produce the Market every year on Museum Hill, an iconic location that has become nearly synonymous with the Market itself. The organization is grateful to the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, the Museum of International Folk Art, and the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture for this long history. We also wish to thank the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, and the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, as well as the surrounding residential neighbors who have so graciously allowed the world into their backyard. IFAM looks forward to maintaining its strong relationship with the Museum Hill community in tandem with the Railyard community. 

While the venue is new, guests can expect the same fabulous elements that make the Market unforgettable. For 2023, the Market has accepted 162 artists from 52 countries, with 39 of them being first-time participants. A free Community Celebration will open the event on July 5; all are invited to join us in welcoming the artists to New Mexico. Opening Night is on July 6, followed by sessions beginning Friday, July 7 and concluding on Sunday, July 9. After a packed inaugural Night Market this past summer, IFAM will include a Saturday Night Market event on July 8, featuring a special musical performance in partnership with AMP Concerts. IFAM is eager to work with community stakeholders in the Railyard District to form mutually beneficial partnerships for the Santa Fe community and IFAM’s global network of new and returning folk artists. 

In July 2022, out-of-town and resident attendees at the Market spent an estimated total of $9,855,427 outside of the Market itself and generated Gross Receipts Tax of an additional $812,159. IFAM itself paid $246,211 in Gross Receipts Tax and generated an additional $1,448,477 in contracts and salaries associated with the event – bringing the total economic impact of the 2022 Market to more than $11.5 million over five days. We are grateful to the long-time partners who help us produce this major event and look forward to building additional ties with the City of Santa Fe and local establishments.

It has long been said that IFAM brings the world to Santa Fe. In 2023, the world will get to experience what Santa Feans love so much about the Railyard district – a bustling, vibrant, art-filled, and community-oriented space that is already home to beloved institutions like the Santa Fe Artists Market, Farmers’ Market, and El Museo Cultural De Santa Fe’s Mercado. IFAM hopes to meaningfully contribute to this area by offering our staple event, where guests have the opportunity to be amongst some of the world’s most pre-eminent artists and cultural bearers. The International Folk Art Market invites you to join them in 2023 at the Railyard Park to powerfully state that the world cares about culture, artistry, and traditional lifeways. 

About

The International Folk Art Market Santa Fe is a 501(c)(3) with the mission to create economic opportunities for and with folk artists worldwide who celebrate and preserve folk art traditions. The International Folk Art Market envisions a world that values the dignity and humanity of the handmade, honors timeless cultural traditions, and supports the work of folk artists serving as entrepreneurs and catalysts for positive social change.