Sponsors

On behalf of Atrisco Heritage Foundation and the Atrisco Companies, it is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the 2023 Traditional Spanish Market. In April of this year, Atrisco Heritage Foundation completed months of cordial and respectful negotiations to acquire Traditional Spanish Market from its previous operational steward, the Spanish Colonial Arts Society (SCAS). We are deeply grateful to SCAS for thinking of our organization as the correct new home for this cultural centerpiece that has been a part of Santa Fe’s community tapestry for 71 years.

During this year’s transitional event, Atrisco concentrates on maintaining the deepest fundamentals of what we have all come to expect from Traditional Spanish Market. Most importantly, this means sharing profound works of art, lovingly created by masters of uniquely Northern New Mexico forms. In addition, Traditional Spanish Market welcomes visitors from around the world to the historic Santa Fe Plaza with local culinary delights, heart-lifting music, and colorful dance — a unique cultural experience that engages all the senses. The long relationship with the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi continues, with mass on Sunday morning, a blessing of the artists’ works, and a procession around the Plaza.

Looking forward, Atrisco Heritage Foundation is excited to facilitate continuing improvements to an already amazing tradition. We have been humbled by the warm reception we have been given by the community of market artists. We look forward to providing a space for that community to cultivate the next generation of its members while upholding its traditions and determining its own standards of quality. In the coming years, you can expect a range of exciting new additions to Traditional Spanish Market, including expanded entertainment and food offerings and additional cultural opportunities. We will work tirelessly to bring more artists, more visitors, and more opportunities for community partnership to the market we all love.

We encourage you to learn more about Atrisco Heritage Foundation at atriscoheritagefoundation.org. We also encourage you to visit our friends at the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, at 750 Camino Lejo on Santa Fe’s Museum Hill, to learn more about amazing traditional art forms, their history, and efforts for their preservation. According to Executive Director Jennifer Berkley, current SCAS exhibits feature the work of market artists past and present in the exhibitions To Be Determined: The Collaborative Art of Jason/Okuu Pín Garcia and Vicente Telles and Trails, Rails and Highways: How Trade Transformed the Art of Spanish New Mexico. The museum offers all New Mexico residents free admission during the weekend of Traditional Spanish Market, and SCAS members can always visit the museum free of charge. Not a member? Visit spanishcolonial.org to sign up.

Atrisco Heritage Foundation is honored to steward Traditional Spanish Market into its next era. With humility and excitement, we welcome you to Santa Fe, to the historic Santa Fe Plaza, and to our family of Atrisco Companies! Thank you for being part of the 2023 Traditional Spanish Market and for your continuing participation and support.