The big annual Native American markets are the best art shows I attend. And I attend a lot of shows. In fact, we publish four other titles—American Art Collector, Western Art Collector, American Fine Art Magazine and International Artist—and I attend shows that relate to all of them. The markets even outrank all of those exhibitions and events. Think about it: Where in this country can you go to meet 600+ artists, watch them create in front of you, eat food and hear music related to their culture, and view and buy the highest-quality artwork of its kind? Maybe two places. One of them is the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, which takes place March 1 and 2 in Phoenix.
To put the quality of a show like this into perspective, maybe we should look at it differently. Outside of a Native American market, you would be hard pressed to find a show that had, for example, the greatest oil painter, sculptor and watercolor artists in attendance. It would be a very big deal if those stars aligned. And yet, every spring at the Heard Museum, you can stand within 100 yards of the greatest living potters, weavers, katsina carvers, cradleboard makers, basket makers, silversmiths, dollmakers, flintknappers, sculptors and bead artists. And not just one from each category, but multiple artists from each discipline. There they are, lined up in curated booths, just waiting to meet new friends, answer their questions and help them understand why they create art.
If you have never attended a Native American market, especially the Heard Museum’s annual market, then I encourage you to make every effort to visit. Extend your spring vacation. Remap your road trip. Book a flight. Detour down to Arizona. Do whatever you can to visit this market. Come to have fun, to ask questions, to listen and learn, to make friends, and to bring a piece of art (or multiple pieces) back home with you. The Heard Fair & Market is a profoundly important event, one you won’t regret visiting this March.
See you there!
Michael Clawson
Executive Editor
mclawson@nativeamericanartmagazine.com
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