Santa Fe, N.M. –The Southwestern Association for Indian Art (SWAIA) is pleased to announce additional details about their partnership with the Clark Hulings Foundation, which will launch the 2020 Virtual Indian Market on Aug. 1, 2020, while providing business training and support to Native artists. A further collaboration with Artspan.com is producing e-commerce websites and a global marketplace where visitors can easily find, experience and acquire the world’s best Native American art.
The Clark Hulings Foundation (CHF) has arranged for SWAIA to work with a third partner, Artspan, to provide websites to SWAIA artists throughout the U.S. and Canada. The CHF will deliver hands-on training to the artists, not only to help create top-notch e-commerce sites but also to teach digital sales and marketing strategies and how to employ them effectively.
Artspan is currently working with SWAIA and the Clark Hulings Foundation to create websites for SWAIA artists throughout the U.S. and Canada. These individual artist websites will be integrated into a central Native American Art Marketplace opening August 1.
Artspan was the first website company to focus on artists, artisans and photographers. It will provide Native American artists with individual websites. The artwork on the sites will provide the inventory for an Art Marketplace which will stand in for the Santa Fe Indian Market.
The cancellation of this year’s physical Santa Fe Indian Market, the most important juried Native art market to both artists and collectors, will now be accessible virtually year-round at the Artspan SWAIA Marketplace. Buyers will be able to purchase artworks directly from an artist’s website and through the Native American Art Marketplace— and artists will have a robust set of tools and platforms with which to run their businesses online.
Virtual Indian Market will be live at swaia.org from August 1 through August 31—offering engaging programming and fan favorites like the Native American Clothing Contest, and a re-imagined awards program. Individual artist websites will be live for one year, with the option for artists to renew the e-commerce sites to market and sell work.
“SWAIA’s goals are both immediate and long-term,” says Executive Director Kim Peone (Colville Confederated Tribes / Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians). “Our first objective is to launch a solution-based platform to meet the economic needs of our artists. Longer-term goals will position SWAIA as a technology leader and innovator, able to offer increased services and support to Native artists.”
