REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM >>LORENE: HELLO, I'M LOREEN MILLS, AND WELCOME TO A VERY DELIGHTFUL EDITION OF REPORT FROM SANTA FE , BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO GUESTS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART MARKET.

I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE JONI PARMAN, WHO IS CEO OF THE INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART MARKET AND NADIA HAMID, WHO IS DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT.

I'M SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE, WE NEED TO KNOW ALL ABOUT THE FOLK ART MARKET, BUT NOW THIS IS A TIME OF YEAR WHEN YOU ARE SCOURING THE WORLD STAGE FOR THE BEST ARTISTS IN THE WORLD.

BUT, LET'S SET IT, GIVE US A CONTEXT, TALK TO ME, EITHER ONE OF YOU, ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE FOLK ART MARKET AND WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE MOST RECENT ONE AND ALSO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON TIME AND PLACE WHERE IT WILL BE HELD.

ALTHOUGH WE'RE FILMING THIS WELL IN ADVANCE, I WANT PEOPLE TO SEE HOW YOU CHOOSE THE BEST ARTISTS IN THE WORLD.

SO, FIRST LET'S TELL THEM ABOUT WHERE, WHEN, WHAT.

>JONI: SO, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY BECAUSE I WAS INVOLVED WITH THE VERY FIRST MARKET IN 2004.

IT WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF JUDITH ESPINAR, CHARLENE CERNY, TOM AAGESON AND CHARMAY ALLRED IT WAS PRACTICALLY ALL VOLUNTEER, ORGANIZED, I THINK WE HAD A PART TIME PERSON HELPING US.

THE FIRST MARKET, WE HAD 60 ARTISTS AND WE HAD NO IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD COME, ABSOLUTELY NONE AND WE HAD 12,000 PEOPLE COME TO THE HILL.

IT MADE A BUNCH OF NEIGHBORS REALLY MAD BECAUSE THEY PARKED ALL OVER THEIR YARDS.

BUT IT WAS INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL AND IT WAS JUST A DREAM THAT WE NEVER THOUGHT WE WOULD CONTINUE.

BUT AFTER THE SUCCESS OF THE FIRST YEAR, WE DID AND IT GREW EVERY YEAR TO MORE ARTISTS, MORE COUNTRIES TO THIS LAST YEAR, WHERE WE SOLD 3.4 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF SALES.

AND YOU KNOW, 80 TO 90 PERCENT OF THAT GOES HOME WITH THE ARTISTS.

SO, IT'S QUITE AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE AND HAS A HUGE IMPACT, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ON THE ARTIST, BUT IT'S ALSO ON THEIR WHOLE COMMUNITY IF THEY'RE IN A COOPERATIVE, IT'S SUPPORTING, YOU KNOW, ALL THE FAMILIES THAT ARE THERE.

SO IT'S AN AMAZING, AMAZING KIND OF PROGRAM.

SO THIS YEAR WE HAD ABOUT 18,000 VISITORS, WE MOVED THE RAIL YARD FROM THE HILL AND WE HAD MANY NEW PEOPLE, 25-30 PERCENT OF THE VISITORS WERE NEW AND PEOPLE SAID THEY FELT REALLY COMFORTABLE COMING TO THE RAIL YARD.

SOME PEOPLE HAD SAID IT WASN'T, IT FELT SORT OF INTIMIDATING TO GO UP ON THE HILL AND, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC WAS DIFFICULT OR TRAVEL WAS DIFFICULT.

THIS WAY YOU CAN TAKE THE TRAIN UP FROM ALBUQUERQUE, LOTS OF NEIGHBORS CAME FOR THE FIRST TIME.

SO IT WAS JUST, IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS AND WE WERE ABLE TO SAY TO THE MAYOR, WE COLLECTED $267,000 OF GROSS RECEIPTS TAX FOR YOU.

>>LORENE: JUST WHAT THE MAYOR WANTS TO HEAR.

>JONI: EXACTLY.

>>LORENE: BUT WHAT WAS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OVERALL?

>JONI: SO WHEN YOU ADD UP LODGER'S TAXES AND VISITORS AND EVERYTHING ELSE COMING INTO THIS, IT WAS OVER 10 MILLION DOLLARS.

>>LORENE: WOW.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND ALSO, BESIDES THE ECONOMIC AND THE DATA, HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME, IT REALLY INCREASES THE SUM OF UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, NATION TO NATION, IT'S A STEP TOWARD WORLD PEACE.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT, IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE EVENTS, BUT OFTEN THE ARTISTS WILL DRESS IN HISTRAJE TIPICO, THE FOLK CLOTHING OF HIS COUNTRY AND THEN OFTEN THERE'LL BE MUSIC FROM ALL DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.

AND SO IT'S A MULTI-SENSORY EVENT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S FOOD FROM THE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND THERE'S INCENSE BURNING AND MUSIC AND THE COSTUMES AND THE ART.

I MEAN THAT'S JUST WHAT IS SO PHENOMENAL.

NOW YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF ARTIST DEVELOPMENT, SO I MUST ASK YOU THIS, NEXT SUMMER AND RIGHT NOW YOU ARE CHOOSING THE ARTISTS, BUT HOW CAN YOU, YOU KNOW, RUN A COLANDER THROUGH THE BEST ARTISTS IN THE WORLD, HOW DO YOU DO THIS?

>>NADIA: YEAH, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY DIFFICULT, WE GET SO MANY APPLICANTS, AND OUR POOL IS SO LARGE THAT IT'S TRULY VERY HARD FOR OUR TWO COMMITTEES TO DECIDE ON THE FINAL SELECTION TO REALLY GO THROUGH EACH ONE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SELECTING THE MASTERS, THE BEST MASTERS OF THE WORLD.

SO WE HAVE TWO COMMITTEES WHO REVIEW ALL THE APPLICATIONS, THEY'RE CALLED THE SELECTION COMMITTEE AND THEN THE PLACEMENT COMMITTEE.

THEY BOTH OFFER A DIFFERENT TYPE OF VETTING PROCESS AND ESSENTIALLY BASE THEIR CRITERIA ON LOOKING AT THE TRADITIONAL RELEVANCE, THE TRADITIONAL MOTIFS THAT ARE USED, THE COMMUNITY RELEVANCE AND IMPACT.

AND IF IT'S A RIGHT FIT FOR IFAM AND THE FOLKS WHO COME TO THE IFAM MARKET.

>>LORENE: SO YOU'RE INVITING ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND THEY COME AND DO THEY STAY WITH HOST FAMILIES, DO THEY HAVE GUIDANCE FROM LOCAL ARTISTS AND ARTISANS TO HELP THEM WITH PRICING AND SET UP SHIPPING ALL THESE THINGS, OH MY GOODNESS.

>>NADIA: YEAH, WELL, A LOT OF MY JOB IS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE ON THINGS LIKE PRICING AND SHIPPING, BUT ACCOMMODATION, WE SUPPORT THAT AND A LOT OF ARTISTS DO STAY WITH FAMILIES HERE AND IN FACT, A LOT OF FRIENDSHIPS HAVE BEEN MADE, YOU KNOW, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE MARKET WHERE AN ARTIST WILL HAPPILY BE SELECTED AGAIN AND THEN RETURN BACK TO THEIR SECOND FAMILY, IF YOU WILL, IN SANTA FE.

IT'S BEEN A BEAUTIFUL, A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.

>>LORENE: AND YOU YOURSELF, I'M SURE YOU HAVE GOTTEN FRIENDS WHO COME BACK.

ONE OF YOUR OBJECTS HERE IS BY A VENEZUELAN TOY MAKER, CAN WE SHOW THAT?

>>JONI: SO HE SPECIALIZES IN TOYS THAT ARE BALANCED.

SO THIS GUY CAN ACTUALLY, YOU CAN PUT HIM ON JUST ONE HOOF.

I WON'T TRY, I MIGHT BREAK HIM, BUT THEY'RE JUST AMAZING.

AND YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING MOVES, HIS HEAD MOVES.

>>LORENE: THE HORSE'S HEAD MOVES.

ENCHANTING.

>>JONI: HE CAME FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND THEN UNFORTUNATELY HAS SOME HEALTH ISSUES GOING ON RIGHT NOW, SO WE MAY NOT SEE HIM AGAIN.

>>LORENE: WELL, I HOPE HE CAN SEND SOME WORK, THOUGH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY CHILDREN ARE, WELL, NO, THE CHILD IN ALL OF US ARE JUST ENTRANCED WITH THE BALANCE, THE GRACE AND THE MOVEMENT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST...

BUT, SO, YOU HAVE BROUGHT SEVERAL THINGS, I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THEM.

EITHER ONE OF YOU START AND JUST HOLD THEM UP JUST FOR A BRIEF, YOU KNOW, FIVE SECONDS.

>>NADIA: WELL I'VE GOT HERE A BEAUTIFULLY EMBROIDERED SHAWL.

THIS IS FROM AFGHANISTAN, THIS IS MADE BY A LARGE WOMEN'S COOPERATIVE CALLED KANDAHAR TREASURE.

LED BY AN INCREDIBLE FORCE OF NATURE, HER NAME IS RANGINA HAMIDI AND SHE IS AN INCREDIBLY THOUGHTFUL PERSON AND SHE HAS PROVIDED SO MANY JOBS TO HUNDREDS OF WOMEN IN KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN.

AND THEY HAVE BEEN PARTICIPANTS OF THIS MARKET FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND HAD TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK ON COMING HERE TO SANTA FE, BUT THEY DID COME TO THE MARKET LAST YEAR AND THEY'VE APPLIED AGAIN, SO HOPEFULLY THEY'LL COME AGAIN.

>>LORENE: OH, I HOPE THEY CAN COME.

BECAUSE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WORLD STAGE, THEY HAVE SUFFERED ALL THESE TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKES, AND YOU KNOW, IF ONE OF THE WAYS YOU CAN HELP IS BY BUYING THESE BEAUTIFUL SHAWLS AND RUNNERS AND GARMENTS, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WINS.

AND THEY REALLY NEED, THEY NEED HELP, THEY HAD, WHAT, ON TWO SIDES OF AFGHANISTAN, THEY HAD 6.3, 6.5 EARTHQUAKES.

THEY HAVE THE SAME CURSE THAT WE DO, ADOBE BUILDINGS, MUD BUILDINGS, FORTUNATELY, WE ARE NOT IN AN EARTHQUAKE ZONE, BUT IN SOME OF THOSE COUNTRIES, THAT'S VERY, YOU KNOW, IT'S TRAGIC WHAT HAPPENS, BUT THANK YOU.

AND YOU ALSO MENTIONED THERE'S AN ARTIST NAMED AMALIA?

>>JONI: YES, AMALIA GUE IS FROM GUATEMALA, AND SHE CAME NINE YEARS AGO, WELL, SHE'S COME MANY TIMES, BUT SHE CAME, I THINK, NINE YEARS AGO WHEN SHE WAS PREGNANT.

NONE OF US REALIZED SHE WAS PREGNANT, SHE OBVIOUSLY DID AND SHE HAD HER BABY HERE AND SO HER SON, WHO'S NOW NINE, IS NOW A U.S. CITIZEN, AND HE CAME BACK WITH HER AND WAS IN HER BOOTH WITH HER THIS LAST YEAR.

>>LORENE: OH, A REAL IFAM BABY.

>>JONI: HIS NAME IS FE NAMED AFTER THE CITY OF SANTA FE.

>>LORENE: OH HOW WONDERFUL, THAT'S GREAT, THAT'S GREAT.

THERE WAS ALSO, LESIA.

>>JONI: DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT LESIA PONA?

>>NADIA: SURE.

LESIA PONA, SHE IS FROM UKRAINE, AND SHE ALSO RUNS A COOPERATIVE SIMILAR TORANGINA HAMIDI.

SHE BRINGS NOT ONLY HER EMBROIDERED BLOUSES, BUT ALSO RELIGIOUS PAINTINGS AND THOSE BEAUTIFUL PAINTED EGGS THAT WE ALL ADORE.

>>LORENE: OH YES.

>>NADIA: AND SHE ISA FORCE OF NATURE , SHE HAS BEEN ABLE TO TRAVEL HERE TO SANTA FE THE LAST COUPLE YEARS DESPITE THE SITUATION THERE.

AND I KNOW THAT SHE IS THRILLED TO COME TO IFAM BECAUSE IT MAKES SURE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS AND HER FAMILY THAT SHE ALSO WORKS WITH IN UKRAINE AND WE ARE ALWAYS DELIGHTED TO WELCOME HER BACK HERE AND PRAY FOR HER SAFETY, OF COURSE.

>>LORENE: AND THIS IS ANOTHER AREA OF THE WORLD WHERE EVERYBODY WILL WIN WHEN WE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THESE COMMUNITIES AND HAVE THESE BEAUTIFUL PAINTED EGGS AND AS YOU SAY THE EMBROIDERY AND EVERYTHING.

>>JONI: AND THE IDEA REALLY AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS A MEETING OF THE WORLD AND WE DO AN ARTISTS' CONFERENCE BEFORE THE MARKET AND THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET EACH OTHER AND TALK WITH EACH OTHER, SHARE STORIES, SHARE HOW DID YOU SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, HOW DID YOU DO THIS, HOW DID YOU DO THAT?

AND WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME FROM PALESTINE, FROM ISRAEL, FROM ANY OTHER PLACES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND WE JUST FOUND OUT THAT OUR GLASSMAKER FROM HEBRON, THAT THEIR STUDIO WAS BOMBED.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY PRIDE OURSELVES IN BRINGING FOLKS TOGETHER AND NOT HAVING ANGER, NOT HAVING YOU KNOW, AS WE SAY, "WHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD CAN YOU COME AND SEE PEOPLE FROM 60 OR 70 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES?"

IT IS JUST A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE.

>>LORENE: IS THERE A CHANCE THERE COULD BE AN ARRANGEMENT MADE WITH THE GLASS STUDIOS IN TESUQUE WHERE HE COULD COME AND CATCH UP WITH...JUST A THOUGHT.

>>JONI: YEAH, THAT IS JUST A WONDERFUL THOUGHT >>LORENE: ONCE YOU REALIZE AND OF COURSE YOU ARE DEALING, WE ARE TALKING WITH TWO FRAGILE THINGS, THE UKRAINIAN BEAUTIFUL EGGS AND THEN THE GLASSWORK.

>>JONI: RIGHT.

>>LORENE: AND YOU KNOW IT'S VERY WORRISOME THE SHIPPING AND ALL OF THAT.

WE ARE SPEAKING TODAY WITH JONI PARMAN AND CEO OF IFAM AND NADIA HAMID, DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT ABOUT THE UPCOMING EVENTS, I WANT YOU TO REMIND OUR GUESTS AGAIN.

WHEN IS THE 2024 IFAM INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART MARKET?

>>JONI: IT STARTS JULY 11, THAT IS A THURSDAY NIGHT AND THEN IT WILL RUN FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND WE WILL BE BACK AT THE RAIL YARD AGAIN.

>>LORENE: YES, YEAH.

WHICH IS WONDERFUL FOR THE ALBUQUERQUE PEOPLE.

>>JONI: ABSOLUTELY PERFECT FOR THE PEOPLE.

>>LORENE: EVEN THE BERNALILLO PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO CAN TAKE THE TRAIN DIDN'T THEY RUN EXTRA TRAINS THIS YEAR?

>>NADIA: YUP.

WE PARTNERED WITH THE ROADRUNNER AND WE GOT MORE TRAINS AND WE SAW MORE NEW MEXICANS COME TO THE FOLK ART MARKET AND WE ARE JUST SO HAPPY TO SHARE THAT OPPORTUNITY WITH OUR WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE AND FOR THEM TO SHARE THEIR HERITAGE WITH THE ARTISTS THAT COME FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

A LOT OF THE ARTISTS ARE SO CURIOUS ABOUT THE CULTURE OF NEW MEXICO.

>>LORENE: AND OUR FOLK TRADITIONS, THE TIN WORKS, THE STRAW APPLIQUES, AND OF COURSE YOU KNOW, THE SQUASH BLOSSOMS, AND THE NAVAJO JEWELRY.

YEAH, WE HAVE A LOT TO OFFER, TOO.

>>JONI: ABSOLUTELY.

>>LORENE: AND I SEE THAT OUR COMMUNITY, WE DO SUPPORT OUR ARTISTS VERY MUCH SO.

SANTA FE IS FAMOUS FOR BEING AN ART CENTER ON MANY, MANY LEVELS.

WE HAVE A NEW CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM RIGHT BY, OH, YOU WILL BE RIGHT ACROSS FROM IT.

>>JONI: YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.

>>LORENE: THE VLADEM AND IT IS A NEW BEAUTIFUL CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM SO WE ARE STILL GROWING AND SO FOR YOU, YOU WILL HAVE THE PARKING, YOU WILL HAVE THE TRAIN, IT IS LIKE A WELCOME MAT THAT MORE PEOPLE CAN COME.

WE ARE EXTENDING THE WELCOME MAT.

YOU HAVE SOME OTHER STORIES ABOUT SOME OF THE ARTISTS, I WOULD LIKE TO... OH, TELL ME ABOUT THIS.

>>JONI: THIS LITTLE GUY, I AM NOT EVEN SURE WHAT HE IS.

>>LORENE: HE IS A CREATURE.

>>JONI: HE IS A CREATURE, AND IT IS JUST A SIMPLY CARVED AND WOOD BURNED ANIMAL.

IT IS FROM SOUTH AFRICA.

THE ARTIST FOR THIS HAS NOT COME BACK, I HAVE TWO OF THEM, I HAVE A HIPPO AND I HAVE THIS GUY.

AND I JUST THINK THEY ARE DELIGHTFUL, I WISH THAT THEY WOULD COME BACK AGAIN.

>>NADIA: ME, TOO.

>>LORENE: THE SHAPE WITH THE TAIL AND THE HORNS AND THE WHISKERS AND EVERYTHING.

IT JUST REMINDS US OF WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT FOLK ART.

THERE IS JUST SOMETHING, IT JUST GOES RIGHT TO YOUR HEART, YOU KNOW, AND SUDDENLY YOU ARE A CHILD AGAIN PLAYING WITH THIS MARVELOUS CREATURE.

>>JONI: EXACTLY.

AND SO WE ALSO HAVE THIS PIECE, DO YOU WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FLORENCIA?

>>NADIA: SURE, ABSOLUTELY.

SO THIS IS A PIECE BY FLORENCIA ESPINAL AND SHE LIVES IN MEXICO AND SHE HAS COME TO THE MARKET A FEW TIMES SO MAYBE YOU RECOGNIZE HER WORK.

BUT SHE DOES GORGEOUS HAND PAINTED WOODEN BOXES WHICH THIS IS NOT.

BUT IN ADDITION, SHE DOES SOME TERRIFIC LACQUER WARE CARVING AS WELL, WHICH THIS IS, AND SHE USES, OF COURSE, SCENES FROM RIGHT AROUND HER STUDIO AND HER HOME AND WE ARE ACTUALLY REALLY LUCKY SHE IS COMING IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS IN NOVEMBER 10 AND 11 FOR A WORKSHOP AND A POP-UP AT OUR IFAM CENTER, WHICH I AM GOING TO SIGN UP FOR.

>>LORENE: AND HOW DO WE DO THAT?

>>NADIA: YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND YOU WILL GO TO OUR EVENTS PAGE AND THEN YOU WILL SEE TWO EVENTS, ONE ON FRIDAY EVENING AND THEN ONE ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR A WORKSHOP AND WHERE YOU CAN MEET FLORENCIA AND HER HUSBAND YOU WILL ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY SOME PIECES FROM HER IF YOU LIKE.

>>LORENE: OH MY GOODNESS.

AND SO YOU DO HAVE A HOLIDAY MARKET AROUND THEN, RIGHT?

>>JONI: YES, IT WILL BE THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND.

>>LORENE: OKAY.

>>JONI: IT WILL BE THE THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING.

>>LORENE: OH, THAT'S PERFECT!

>>JONI: YEAH.

>>LORENE: BECAUSE CHRISTMAS IS COMING.

>>JONI: YES.

EXACTLY.

>>LORENE: WHAT CAN I SAY?

AND WHO WOULDN'T?

YOU HAVE SOME OTHER, SHOW ME THE POMPOMS.

>>NADIA: SURE, YES, MY PLEASURE.

THIS IS FROM COLUMBIA THIS ISKYOSIGA THEY ARE ALSO A GROUP WHO HAVE JUST STARTED COMING TO THE MARKET RECENTLY AND ALSO 100 WOMEN COOPERATIVE AND IT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL STORY OF SUPPORTING A VERY IMPORTANT INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY IN COLUMBIA.

AND THEY MAKE TERRIFIC BAGS AND HAMMOCKS, SHOES, AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE ALL ADORE THOSE POMPOMS.

>>LORENE: YEAH, OH THAT'S GREAT.

AND THAT ONE.

>>JONI: THIS ONE IS ALSO REALLY SPECIAL.

>>NADIA: YEAH THIS IS FROM INDIA, AND WE DO HAVE A LOT OF ARTISTS FROM INDIA.

THIS IS BY DAYABEN DOHAT, SHE IS INCREDIBLY TALENTED WOMAN.

SHE MUST BE IN HER 70S AND SHE IS MAKING BEAUTIFUL EMBROIDERY WORK, VERY TRADITIONAL, WHAT WE CALL POTLI BAGS, AND THEY ARE SO HIGHLY DECORATED, OF COURSE, WITH TASSELS IN THIS CASE AND EVEN THE STRAP HERE IS ALL TASSELED.

>>LORENE: OH, YES.

>>NADIA: SO IF YOU REALLY WANT TO DECORATE YOURSELF AND FEEL ORNATE, YOU SHOULD CERTAINLY GRAB ONE OF THESE WHEN SHE COMES TO MARKET NEXT YEAR.

>>LORENE: ABSOLUTELY AND THAT'S ALL HAND WOVEN OR IS THAT EMBROIDERY?

>>NADIA: THAT'S HAND EMBROIDERED YES.

>>LORENE: LOOK AT THE QUALITY OF EMBROIDERY, IT IS EXTRAORDINARY.

>>NADIA: YUP.

THE MARKET REALLY PRIDES ITSELF IN BRINGING, LIKE I SAID THOSE FOLK MASTERS IF YOU WILL FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND THE QUALITY REALLY SHINES THROUGH AT THE MARKET.

>>JONI: WE HAVE GOTTEN OVER THE 20 YEARS, GOTTEN AN AMAZING REPUTATION AROUND THE WORLD, SO WHEN WE TRAVEL TO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, AND RUN INTO ARTISTS, WE'LL SEE OUR IFAM ARTISTS, BUT WE'LL ALSO SEE ARTISTS THAT SAY, "OH, YOU ARE FROM SANTA FE," BECAUSE THEY KNOW ABOUT THE MARKET.

>>LORENE: YES.

>>JONI: AND NOW THERE ARE MARKETS, REGIONAL MARKETS BEGINNING TO HAPPEN IN DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE WORLD AND WE SORT OF CONSIDER THEM OUR GRANDCHILDREN.

>>LORENE: IT'S SATELLITES, YEAH, YEAH.

AND I'M WONDERING ONE DOES THE CITY OR STATE HELP PUBLICIZE THIS BECAUSE YOU ARE NOW ON A LEVEL WITH INDIAN MARKETS AND SPANISH MARKETS.

YOU DRAW SO MANY PEOPLE AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THAT SHOULD BE IN ALL THE TOURIST'S BROCHURES AND ON THE CITY'S TOURIST WEBSITES, PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW.

>>JONI: YES, THEY HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL, AND RANDY AT THE TOURISM OFFICE HAS BEEN GREAT.

AND IT IS UP TO US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE NEW MEXICAN ON THE MAGAZINE THAT COMES OUT EVERY YEAR AND MAKING SURE THAT WE GET OUR ADS OUT.

SO, IT IS A TWO-WAY STREET, WE REALLY WORK WITH EVERYBODY.

>>LORENE: SO BECAUSE YOU ARE SO WELL KNOWN AND IN SUCH DEMAND, DO YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY PUT OUT A CALL TO ARTISTS OR DO THEY COME TO YOU?

>>NADIA: THAT'S A REALLY, REALLY GOOD QUESTION.

WE DON'T NEED TO PUT A CALL OUT.

>>JONI: THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM.

>>NADIA: WE ARE LIKE A BEACON IN THE WORLD THAT ATTRACTS APPLICANTS AND OUR SORT OF WORD OF MOUTH LIKE JONI WAS SAYING HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES ESPECIALLY.

BUT WHERE POSSIBLE, WE ALSO LIKE TO FIND OUT WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE HEARD OF US AND WHO MIGHT WANT TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON A GLOBAL STAGE LIKE THIS.

>>JONI: YEAH AND SOMETIMES WE WORK WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

WE JUST HAD THE CHINESE COUNCIL VISITING FROM LOS ANGELES ON MONDAY AND SO WE WERE TALKING TO HIM, WE HAVE HAD CHINESE ARTISTS IN THE PAST, BUT HAVEN'T RECENTLY.

AND SO WE WERE TALKING WITH HIM ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING MORE ARTISTS.

AND ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS HAS WORKED WITH ARTISTS FROM CHINA IN THE PAST BECAUSE SHE IS FLUENT IN MANDARIN, SO SHE OFFERED HER SERVICES TO HELP THEM FIGURE OUT WITH THE ARTISTS WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO APPLY.

>>LORENE: OH, THAT'S WONDERFUL.

THAT IS WONDERFUL.

>>JONI: AND WE GOT HOW MANY APPLICATIONS THIS YEAR?

>>NADIA: SO THIS YEAR WE GOT JUST UNDER 600 APPLICATIONS AND THAT IS REPRESENTATIVE OF 68 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.

>>LORENE: AND GOSH, HOW DO YOU TELL THE ONES THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT, MAYBE NEXT YEAR?

>>JONI: OH, THAT'S HER JOB.

>>NADIA: THAT'S MY JOB, IT IS REALLY TOUGH.

YOU KNOW, THANKFULLY I HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THOSE TWO COMMITTEES WHO REVIEW THOSE APPLICATIONS AND THEY PROVIDE SO MUCH GOOD CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK AND MOST OF THE TIMES WHERE THE APPLICANT IS VERY SAD NOT TO HAVE RECEIVED A SELECTION NOTICE THE FIRST TIME, THEY WILL APPLY AGAIN AND USUALLY THEIR APPLICATION IS EVEN STRONGER BECAUSE OF THAT FEEDBACK >>LORENE: YEAH, YEAH.

ALSO, DO YOU HAVE TO LOOK IN TERMS OF WHERE GEOGRAPHICALLY WHERE YOU ARE, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF MEDIA THAT YOU REPRESENT BECAUSE YOU HAVE GOT WOOD, FABRIC, TIN.

YOU HAVE GOT JUST AN AMAZING ARRAY AND TOYS.

SO HOW DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE TO KEEP AND BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ENOUGH OF EVERYTHING AND NOT TOO MUCH OF ONE ELEMENT?

>>NADIA: YES, ABSOLUTELY.

OUR PLACEMENT COMMITTEE IS MOSTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT SIDE OF THINGS DURING OUR REVIEW MEETINGS WHERE THEY LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE OF HOW MANY TEXTILES WE HAVE OR HOW MANY ARTISTS DO WE HAVE IN GLASS OR WOOD AND DO WE HAVE ENOUGH GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION, THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THEN MY JOB IS THEN TO TAKE THAT REPORT FROM OUR FIRST CYCLE OF THE MARKET AND THEN START LOOKING TO THE NEXT MARKET AND THE NEXT APPLICANT POOL AND SEE WHERE THE GAPS ARE AND HOW WE CAN FILL THEM.

>>LORENE: WELL, I LOVE THAT YOU THE HOLIDAY MARKET IN NOVEMBER.

YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE CAN'T WAIT AND I WILL BE THERE, I PROMISE YOU THAT.

SO WHAT ELSE DO PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ESPECIALLY ABOUT, THERE IS ONE STORY I WANT YOU TO CONFIRM FOR ME, WAS THERE A BASKET WOMAN FROM ZIMBABWE AND HER BASKETS HADN'T COME IN TIME AND YOU HAD A SPECIAL EVENT?

>>JONI: NOW THAT IS A STORY FROM A LONG TIME AGO.

>>LORENE: I KNOW BUT IT WAS CHARMING.

>>JONI: SO, YES, WE HAD ALL OF THEIR BASKETS DID NOT COME, THEY GOT STUCK IN JOHANNESBURG AND, OF COURSE, THE ARTISTS WERE HERE BUT THEIR BASKETS WERE NOT.

AND IT WAS HEARTBREAKING, SO WE ACTUALLY TOOK DOWN EVERYBODY'S EMAILS THAT WERE INTERESTED AND I ORGANIZED A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS TO DO A SALE.

I THINK ANOTHER MONTH LATER, SO WE HAD TO PRICE EVERYTHING, AND WE HAD TO DO ALL THE SALES, BUT I THINK THAT WE SOLD $20,000 WORTH OF BASKETS FOR THEM.

>>LORENE: OH, WELL THAT IS WONDERFUL.

>>JONI: YEAH.

>>LORENE: BUT SEE, THIS IS WHAT YOU DO.

YOU GO ABOVE AND BEYOND, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT, NO BASKETS SORRY.

BUT YOU BEND OVER BACKWARDS TO HELP THESE PEOPLE AND HER WHOLE COMMUNITY OR HIS FOR WHOMEVER THE BASKETS WERE.

>>JONI: YEAH IT WAS A COMMUNITY OF BASKET MAKERS.

YEAH.

YES, IT IS THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPENED THAT YOU KNOW WE HAVE TO MENTION OUR VOLUNTEERS, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, 1500 TO 2000 VOLUNTEERS, WE COULD NOT DO THE MARKET WITHOUT THEM.

THEY DO EVERYTHING, BECAUSE THE STAFF IS QUITE SMALL AND YOU KNOW WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO LET PEOPLE INTO THE MARKET AND TALE TICKETS AND, YOU KNOW, RUN THE BOOTHS AND EVERYTHING ELSE AND RUN WATER BACK AND FORTH AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GETS DONE.

IT IS AN AMAZING AND VERY DEDICATED GROUP, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO COME BACK YEAR AFTER YEAR.

>>LORENE: WELL ALSO, THEY HAVE FUN, I MEAN THEY ARE JOYOUSLY HAPPY TO HELP YOU.

YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, CARVINGS, WELL COME HERE I WILL SHOW YOU.

BUT THAT IS WHAT IS SO WONDERFUL ABOUT THIS EVENT, LIKE I SAID, THE WAY THAT YOU ALL INTERCONNECT.

IT IS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION AND PEACE AND WHAT BLESSES ONE BLESSES ALL AND THAT'S A WONDERFUL TEMPLATE TO PUT OUT THERE.

WE JUST HAVE A MINUTE LEFT, IF YOU JUST GIVE US A CALL OUT TO PEOPLE TO REMIND THEM WHERE YOU WILL BE AND WHEN AND THAT THEY SHOULD COME.

>>JONI: WELL, OKAY, HOLIDAY MARKET IS THE WEEKEND, THE THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING.

I THINK IT IS THE 17 THROUGH THE 20 IF I HAVE GOT IT IN MY HEAD.

THEN WE HAVE THE POP UP WITH THIS WOMAN AND HER GROUP THE WEEKEND BEFORE AND THEN THE MARKET, WHICH WILL BE STARTING JULY 11, 2024.

>>LORENE: WOW, YES.

AND YOU DON'T NEED ANY MORE ARTISTS AT THIS POINT?

>>NADIA: UNFORTUNATELY YEAH.

THE APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED BUT THE APPLICATION WILL OPEN BACK UP IN EARLY MARCH.

USUALLY THERE IS ABOUT FIVE OR SIX MONTHS FOR ANYBODY TO SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATIONS.

BUT, OF COURSE, EVERYBODY DOES IT AT THE LAST MINUTE.

>>LORENE: WELL, THAT IS ONE OF THE ENDEARING ELEMENTS OF FOLK BEHAVIOR IS THE MANANA ELEMENT.

BUT YOU HAVE DONE JUST SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB AND I WANT TO THANK YOU.

OUR GUESTS TODAY ARE JONI PARMAN, THE CEO OF THE INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART MARKET AND NADIA HAMID, YOU ARE THE DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT, WHAT A JOB.

YOU DO A WONDERFUL JOB.

I WILL SEE YOU AT YOUR HOLIDAY MARKET AND FOR SURE FOR THE BIG MARKET IN THE SUMMER.

THANK YOU.

>>NADIA: THANK YOU.

>>JONI: THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

>>LORENE: OH NO, THIS IS SO MUCH FUN I LOVE WHAT YOU DO.

AND I LOVE WHAT YOU DO OUT THERE, BE SURE TO GO TO THE INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART MARKET.

AND I AM LORENE MILLS, I WILL SEE YOU THERE AND I WILL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK ON REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM