Once the weather gets warmer, art festivals will be taking place all throughout the state of New Mexico and the Bernalillo Indian Arts Festival (BIAF) is set to kick off the festival season with a bang!
The BIAF was started back in 2017, by artist Sara Chadwick. Chadwick owned Sara’s Southwest Connection, Inc., a fine arts Southwest Gallery and store that was founded back in 1991 in New Hampshire. Chadwick was often credited with introducing Southwest Native American artists to the Northeastern United States.
However, in 2004 because of her love of the Southwest, Chadwick moved to New Mexico and opened a gallery in Bernalillo and has become President of the Authentic Native Arts Association, Inc., who put on the festival. Then in 2017, she was asked if her gallery would host an Indian Market. A call to artists was issued and 76 artists signed on for this first market.
Since then the festival has grown to heights that no one could have imagined when it first started. The festival has grown to have over 200 artists and is looking to keep expanding as time goes on.
The two day art festival that will take place on May 4-5 at the Loretto Park (237 S. Camino del Pueblo) Along with 200 artists will also include food vendors, entertainment, and other activities. Admission is free so anyone is able to stop by and check out what the festival has to offer.
Last year, we had drumming. We’ve had Tony Duncan, some really high end dancers. There’s food and we have a raffle so that you can buy tickets and then pick from a table full of art pieces that the artists have donated,” said Sara Chadwick, President of Authentic Native Arts Association, Inc.
The BIAF is currently preparing for the festival making sure every detail is correct and in order. The “Call to Artists” for the festival is still open for anyone to apply.
The applications come with a $35 fee and pricing on booths may vary based on what kind of booth you will need. Once an artist’s application is received the jury for the festival will look through the application and determine whether the artists will be accepted into the festival. Once an artist is accepted to the festival they will be notified and helped with any next steps they might need to complete to be ready for the festival.
The deadline for artists to be a part of the festival is marked for April 1, but the festival will be open to receive any last minute submissions until a week before the festival. “My deadline is April 1 and we’ll accept people you know, right up till the week. They will still need to be qualified and juried in,” said Chadwick.
Any if you or any artists you know are interested in applying for the festival, the application cen be found at bernalilloindianfestival.com.