2015 SPANISH MARKET NOTES:

An overwhelming success by all accounts, this summer’s 64th Traditional Spanish Market topped all expectations with new and exciting ¡Viva la Cultura!events, a new venue for Preview and a year without a rain cloud in the sky. Partnering with local non-profits,¡Viva la Cultura! partners provided tours of Petroglyphs, Flamenco dance shows, films at Jean Cocteau Cinema, concerts/lectures of different genres, cooking classes at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, a reception for the Spanish Market Artists sponsored by the Santa Fe Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a family day at the Spanish Colonial Arts Museum, and of course Preview.

Thanks to Jim Long and the Heritage Hotel staff, Preview was staged in the Grand Ballroom of the Eldorado Hotel & Spa. A beautiful new venue for Santa Fe, the magnificent artwork by adult and youth Market artists was displayed for all to view. The crowds were large and the energy high. Some commented on the room being crowded but the guests flowed in and out of the ballroom all evening enjoying the artwork and a drinkalong with entertainment provided by the hotel in the Agave Lounge across the hall from the ballroom. Approximately 1400 people attended (by ticket count) and the 15% discount at the hotel’s three restaurants filled the tables all evening.

The challenges for next year will be (1) to provide better access for artists to drop off and pick up their work; (2) to access a greater number of walls to display artwork and (3) to utilize more of the first floor of the hotel to reduce crowding around the art work.

The hotel’s valet underground parking was overwhelmed with the volume of traffic during the drop off times. I have talked with the Hotel staff about solutions for next year and one would be to secure a permit to unload on Johnson Street, a side entrance to the hotel, and stagger large drop offs throughout the morning. Another possibility, being looked into by Jerome Lujan, the new Artist Liaison Chair and Market artist, is to partner with the City to use the adjacent city lot for overflow and large drop offs.

Walls have been expensive to rent and we are at the mercy of others for the number of walls needed to display all the pieces we receive each year for Preview. It will be necessary to look into the possibility of having our own walls built so we can reduce the costs of renting and repairing walls from other venues and be assured of the number of walls we need, when we need them.

The Market experienced large crowds throughout the weekend—many faces new to our event. Artists reported sales were up this year. Thanks to our partnership with St. Michael’s High School Soccer Teams and their parent organization, the City of Santa Fe was happy with our coverage of barriers during the Market (normally a contentious area for the weekend). In return, the soccer team was able to raise monies for their continued activities for the coming school year. The bandstand seats were full all weekend thanks to the work of the Market Entertainment Committee and the great performance line-up they assembled. We added a few new food vendors this year on the Plaza and they have asked to be invited back again next year. Best of all we had a dry weekend which kept the Market vibrant Saturday and Sunday.

For 2015 new initiatives were taken to increase revenue and decrease expenses. The Executive Director created a new booth sponsorship and we created reusable booth signage to accommodate sponsors names as they change each year.We expanded our cooperative efforts with local non-profit organizations to increase our ¡Viva la Cultura!offerings with a percentage of event revenue returning to the Market. Our partnership with Heritage Hotels allowed us to put on a great Preview without venue cost and limited catering costs. Of course grants, vendor fees and individual fundraising helped cover the expense of artist awards, entertainment at Market, and the general costs of putting on Spanish Market. I am so proud to report that this year we were able to present Spanish Market without a deficit to the Spanish Colonial Arts Society.

With a quick breath between the end of one Market and the beginning of another, registration materials have been sent for Winter Market to all Adult artists and Youth artists that participated in the Summer Market. Calls and e-mails are coming in for the dates of future Markets which are:

2015

28th Annual Winter Spanish Market

Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town

Friday, November 27

Saturday, November 28

2016

2nd Annual Las Cruces Market

Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces

Saturday, February 20

Sunday, February 21

65th Annual Traditional Spanish Market

Market Week Events:

Monday-Friday, July 25-29

Spanish Market Preview:

Friday, July 29

Spanish Market

Friday, July 30

Saturday, July 31

Submitted by Maggie Magalnick 9/10/15