Indigenous Craft Fairs: Wrapped
By Muriel Ammon
What a year for Native art markets! We saw the ‘first annual’ of quite a few markets, vendors rocked the house new desgins and handcrafted jewelry, crocheted caps, and streetwear styles galore. This is the time to catch up with friends, browse the gems and jewels, and see what trends are hot on the market.
Several new markets were established in the year of 2024. In honor of esteemed Karuk artist Brian Tripp, Spawning Ground put on the First Annual Native Artists and Makers Sale in Trinidad. Vendors included Shoshoni Hostler (Yurok) with her brand Nar Rew Ekar, designer and beader Chuck Begay (Hupa, Navajo), traditional basket weaver Denise McKenzie (Tolowa, Yurok), among many others. I wish I could have gone, but I was vending at the First Annual Indigenous Artists Extravaganza presented by Ashley and Hop Noris. Down south, the Chapter House and Jana Schmieding together put on the first LA NDN Flea Market. An event in itself, Schmieding and co-host Brian Bahe performed comedy and recorded live a Sage-Based Wisdom podcast. A huge thank you to all these coordinators who took it upon themselves to expand the available spaces dedicated to Native creators.
Indigenous artists have wowed us again this holiday season. High school entrepreneur Hune Bommelyn (Tolowa Dee-ni), with her business Bloom, packaged up her elderberry syrup, lavender and cedar hydrosol, tea blend, lip balms, and acorn shaped bath balms. Cute! California Native Glass (Yurok) was traveling up and down the coast to share her beautiful glasswork. Glass artist Lex Farias (Tlingit, Haida) showcased his work and people loved his stained glass pileated woodpecker, basket designs, and acorns. Patti McCovey (Yurok) of Pueleeklaa Designs is a contemporary jewelry artist who works with abalone. Inspired by traditional carving, McCovey uses vinyl and acrylic to apply basket designs in a modern way. It’s truly stunning work. We saw more dentalium carvers, doing beafutiful work. You have got to check out Weez Davis, whose designs can be found on Facebook @Weez’s Têenva, for their carved dentalium and carved abalone. Love!
The fun is not limited to in-person boutiques. For those preferring to stay in from the crowds, online shops, etsy, and social media shops are plentiful. Imkúuhkirih Designs is a joy to visit. Her work is remarkable, and the photography brings out perfectly the beauty of the pieces, the models, and the Yurok and Karuk homelands of artist Sinéad Talley. Talley is a key player in the expanding Indigenous Fashion network, and her innovation marks her as one to watch. Most recently, she and Deja Coleman (Karuk, Yurok, Modoc, and Cherokee) have released a line of jewelry pieces entitled ‘Three Point Set.’ These dramatic dangle earrings drape from ear to ear, adorning the body in a most unique way.
Streetwear and ready-to-wear styles are blooming thanks to the work of Indigenous fashion brands like Nar Rew Ekar, Mermery Designs, and Native Queens Design. Dress the whole family in basket designs! Indin Wear by Pyuwa Bommelyn (Tolowa Dee-ni) has several new t-shirt designs this year, including one I love because it represents the Native people here by our languages – with Tolowa, Karuk, Yurok, Hupa, and Wiyot. Coastal NDN Art by Casey Pederson (Karuk, Yurok) has the sweetest new design – an otter, amváamvaan in Karuk, atop a blue Native design background. Native Queens Design x Eric Wilder saw a wonderful print collab. Amid a scene of poppies, abalone triangles arranged in basket designs lay beneath the outstretched wings of a flicker. I’m dying to see what collaborations come next.
That’s a wrap on 2024. A special thank you to last year’s intern, Tavi Lorelle Carpenter, from a few of the artists above, for her series on California Native artists.
Afforementioned Artists:
