Ellen Bradbury Reid

Ellen Bradbury Reid

Ellen Bradbury Reid grew up in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Following graduate work at Yale University, Ellen served as Curator of Primitive Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Upon returning to Santa Fe, she became director of the Museum of Fine Arts, and later director of the Santa Fe Festival of the Arts. Ellen then founded Recursos de Santa Fe about 20 years ago. As director, she has organized seminars and tours on fine art, architecture, archaeology, history, and science for museums and universities. Ellen has been an editor and author on a wide variety of books, from Georgia O’Keeffe and contemporary Mexican architecture to atomic history and the American Indian Ghost Dance. In her spare time, she also enjoys renovating historic adobe houses in the Santa Fe area.
Q&A with Ellen Bradbury Reid
 


Q: How did the Indian Market get started and what is its importance?
A: Indian Market traces its origins back to 1922 when the Museum of New Mexico created an Indian Fair as part of the annual Santa Fe Fiesta celebration. It went through many transitions over the decades, as responsibility for organizing the Market was shared among organizations and individuals who cared passionately about Indian art. With the increased national interest in American Indian culture that occurred in the 1960s, Indian Market grew rapidly. In 1966, space was provided for about 175 artists during Indian Market. In 2010, over 1000 artists will participate, with booths set up throughout Santa Fe’s historic downtown area. Now, some 85 plus years after the first Indian Fair, the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts proud mission is "To develop, sponsor, and promote the Santa Fe Indian Market and other educational programs and events that encourage cultural preservation, inter-cultural understanding, and economic opportunities for American Indians through excellence in the arts, with an emphasis of Indians in the Southwest."
Q: There will be over 1,000 artists, including 100 new Native artists at the Indian Market in 2010. Where do they come from and what can Smithsonian Journeys’ participants expect to see?
A: The Santa Fe Indian Market features a vast expanse of artwork from jewelry and beadwork to pottery and sculptors to paintings and photography. The 2009 artists came from multiple tribes including the Sioux, Cochiti Pueblo, Kiowa, Aleut, and Navajo (Diné) to name just a few. Many artists won awards for their work and all of their items are for sale.
Q: Do you have any tips for travelers when they’re at the Market shopping or walking around?
A: The day before the market opens, Smithsonian travelers will go to the historic Santa Fe Plaza where the market will be held and become familiar with the area and general set-up. We will give a market orientation of where certain items are located, such as the pottery section and the jewelry/beadwork area. The group will also have an orientation on the arrival day with Bruce Bernstein. He will also provide the group with tips and important things to look for.
Q: In addition to visiting the Indian Market, what other activities will Smithsonian Journeys’ participants get to experience while in Santa Fe?
A: Journeys’ participants will attend the exciting Artist Awards Sneak Preview to view the best of the Indian Market and the 2010 artist award winners following the Awards Ceremony. Participants will visit Museum Hill for stops at Morningstar Gallery, Zaplan Lampert, Robert Nichols on Canyon Road, Shiprock Gallery to meet with the artists/owner, and preview the silent auction at the Wheelwright Museum. In addition, we will see an artist demonstration at Blue Rain Gallery and attend the Fashion Show at the Gazebo on the Plaza.