Summertime: When the World Comes to Santa Fe[plus nifty travel take-alongs]

I think I'm at a bazaar in India, a market in Mexico, a village in Africa. People in bright-colored traditional dress are weaving baskets, beading necklaces, stitching scarves. A medley of sounds - light- hearted laughter, serious bargaining - and a multitude of languages fill the plaza. Exotic smells waft through the air; the food court is on the lower level.

A child stands transfixed, hypnotized by the shuttle of a small loom as it goes back-and-forth, back-and-forth. The weaver smiles; she can't communicate in words but her smile says it all. She's glad to be here. No, "thankful" is a better word. This festival, the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market is giving her a new chance at the good life.

The 100-plus craftspeople come from more than thirty countries. Miao silversmiths from the southern Chinese province of Guizhou show their silver jewelry and embroidered clothing; Nancy Ngali from the Malaysian state of Sarawak demonstrates ikat weaving; Loida Mejia from Panama displays baskets made from the silky strands of the black chunga palm.

In many cases, the artisan's stories are as remarkable as their art. Take, for example, Miriam Adam Atim Abbakar of Sudan. In 2004 when her village was attacked, Miriam fled to the mountains with her two children, then aged three and five. Her husband stayed behind to protect their hut. When she returned, her husband was dead, the entire village burned. She walked, and walked, and walked, often carrying her children, till she got to a safe place in Western Sudan. In the three years since she arrived at the camp, she's become a master weaver. Thanks in part to the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, which insists that artists receive fair value for their work, she's now able to support herself and her children.

This insistence that artists know the business as well as creative aspects of art is a hallmark of the market and one of the prime goals of co-founder Judith Espinar. She's helped create two-day training program that precedes opening day. During that time the artists learn the nitty-gritty details of running a small business, such as pricing, invoicing, packing, importing, exporting and wholesaling. To most these are new concepts, but when the artists take these lessons home, they'll be able to teach others, creating a ripple effect that, says Program Director Lynn Brown, will "positively impact the income of thousands of families around the world."

A do-good, feel-good atmosphere permeates the market. While most of the shoppers come to buy items that will adorn their home, there's no doubt that they feel better handing crisp dollar bills to an artisan from the Panamanian rainforest, a woman who needs the money for life's basics, than handing it to an art dealer or gallery owner. "If I buy this, I'll really be helping someone take care of her family," says one woman, as she tries to persuade her husband that their son would "really, really like" a wood toy designed by Venezuelan carver Mario Calderon. Her husband shrugs. She buys the toy.

The crafts are not cheap. Artists - and they are artists in every sense of the word - sell their goods at market price. The pre-show attracts avid collectors who, in many cases, drop three or four thousand dollars for a museum quality basket or vase.

But there are less expensive items too, and the Market attracts people of all income levels. The second day, which is more relaxed as the collecting frenzy has died down, is perfect for families who simply want to browse and introduce their children to people and crafts from different countries.

Last year 20,000 people jammed the Plaza - serious collectors and buyers on the first day, families intent on introducing their children to the world on the second. Most of the artisans are accompanied by translators, who patiently help market-goers talk with the craftspeople. In the middle of the plaza dancers and musicians perform continually, adding to the festive atmosphere.

All told, the market resulted in $1.3 million in sales for the artisans. That's a far cry from the first market, held just two years earlier in 2004, when there were only ten artists. Since then it it's ballooned into the country's largest venue for authentic, quality international folk art and has become a major force in providing an economic base for folk artists in third world countries.

I ask Joyce Ice, director of Santa Fe's Museum of International Folk Art, why she thinks the market has had such unparalleled success. "It goes beyond the superficial sense of authenticity that you see in many places. These items aren't a quick-buck sale to tourists, but are rooted in the culture and tradition of the artists. In addition, there's the personal contact; people get to meet the artists, who are dressed in their ethnic garb," she says.

Folk Art Market Specifics:
Dates: July 14 &15.
Saturday Early Bird preview: 7:30am - 9:00am; $50, half of which is a tax deductible donation to the International Artists Fund.
Saturday admission: 9am-5pm; $10 in advance, $15 on Market Day; children 16 and under free.
Sunday Family Day: 9am-5pm: $5 adults, children 16 and under free.
To buy tickets and for more information, see www.folkartmarket.org

The other Santa Fe markets: