Gene Peach
	Maria Benitez, of the Institute of Spanish Arts, dances the Flamenco.

Art at center of Spanish Market celebration

© 2012 Group Tour Media Article,
July 20, 2012

SANTA FE, N.M. – Flamenco dancers, Mariachi bands and an extraordinary display of Hispanic art will take over historic Santa Fe July 23-29.

Groups can experience the famous Spanish Market, the oldest and largest juried Spanish Market in the United States, which attracts more than 80,000 visitors and collectors from throughout the world each July, according to information from the Spanish Colonial Arts Society.

The market showcases 500 Hispanic artists who exhibit and sell their art, while sharing their culture and heritage. All the festivities are focused on and around the historic Santa Fe Plaza, surrounded by museums, shops and restaurants. 

This year’s Spanish Market, July 27-29, will be the culmination of a weeklong celebration that includes traditional art, food and exciting music and dance to entertain groups.

A highlight of the week is Luncheon with the Artists July 25 at the famed Bishop’s Lodge, an opportunity to learn more about the artists and their art forms in an intimate sitting.

Another highlight is the well-known Market Mass held at the St. Francis Cathedral Basilica, followed by the Mariachi-led procession to the Plaza Bandstand. 

	Gene Peach
	People gather at Spanish Market.

Art showcased at the market includes retablos, bultos, jewelry, tin work, colcha embroidery, hide painting, furniture, wood carving, and many other traditional Hispanic art forms. Each piece is handmade using traditional methods and materials. 

While visiting Santa Fe, tour the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, the only museum dedicated exclusively to historic Spanish colonial and modern-day Hispanic art.

The museum holds one of the largest Spanish colonial collections in the country and offers four to six exhibits at any given time in the historic John Gaw Meem-designed building.

Santa Fe offers hundreds of art galleries, museums, and restaurants; and is within easy driving distance to Indian Pueblos, historic Spanish sites, and mountain and wilderness country.

Both the Camino Real and the Santa Fe Trail ended in Santa Fe, and the city is filled with historic buildings, including the oldest capital building in the United States. Thousands of hotels and resort rooms are available.

For more information, visit www.spanishcolonial.org or call (505) 982-2226.

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