In My Backyard, There Is An Awesome World To Explore

I live in a very special place: New Mexico, USA.  This past weekend,  I realized that I sometimes "take for granted" the unique beauty of what New Mexico has to offer.  In my "backyard", there are the most wonderful places and things to be seen within a few minutes or few hours.

Taos Pueblo (a World Heritage site) is one of 19 Pueblo communities

Blue skies and monsoon clouds in summer

The scenery is world-class (one of the reasons why they film so many movies and TV here), the culture is interesting and diverse (primarily Spanish, Native American, Western), the food is unique and delicious (we grow the best green chile in the world), there are outdoor activities for everyone 365 days a year (skiing, biking, hiking, mountain-climbing, white water rafting, hot-air ballooning, fishing, hunting, camping...just to name a few), there is world class art (public art, performing arts, studios and galleries) everywhere and a long history of world-class artists who came to live here (like DH Lawrence, Georgia O'Keeffe, R.C. Gorman, Ernest Blumenschein).

"On the Old Santa Fe Road" by Georgia O'Keeffe

There are wonderful annual festivals that people from all over the world attend.  One of them is the Santa Fe Indian Market which is held the fourth weekend in August each year.  I attended this year's Indian Market yesterday and it again reminded me of what a special place this is where I have chosen to live.

There were over a thousand booths with the work of Native American artists from over 220 U.S. Federally recognized tribes and First Nations' Tribes (Canada) displaying Jewelry, Pottery, Sculpture, Textiles, Paintings, Wooden Carvings (Kachinas), Bead Work, Baskets and Diverse Arts.

There were food vendors selling everything from roasted corn to Indian Tacos.  There are free performances by dancers and musicians.  I especially enjoyed Sihasin, a brother and sister performing modern rock music on themes of the protection of the earth and traditions.  Many of their songs include traditional Navajo singing with their father:




I heard a voice call out "Vicki" and there was 9 year old Dwayne Keith standing in the roasted corn line.  He told me where to find my friends Maria and Nacho from Santo Domingo (now Kewa) Pueblo, their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Indian Market is a family affair. 

I purchased some beautiful turquoise and silver earrings from a Dine (Navajo) artist.

Then I found a lovey unique pot by a Zuni artist that had little frogs jumping around the pot.  I purchased it for my home.

Pot by Zuni artist, Agnes Peynetsa

There is so much beautiful art at Indian Market, both traditional and modern in style.  Collectors and gallery owners show up each year by the 100's to scout out the very best in Native American art.  I wish I could afford the beautiful sculptures and kachinas I saw. Here are some lovely bronzes by Nelson Tsosie of Black City, AZ: 

I loved this piece