IFAM pulls in $3.6 million in sales, breaking records

Jul. 16—The International Folk Art Market rang in its 20th anniversary this year with its highest-ever sales.

IFAM artists sold 103,000 creations last weekend, for an average of 625 sales per tent.

Some 1,400 volunteers worked more than 500 individual shifts, helping the market's 18,500 visitors find their way among the wares.

And sales totaled $3.64 million — outpacing last year's record-breaking revenue figure by nearly $300,000.

All told, the market was "absolutely amazing," IFAM executive director Stacey Edgar said Tuesday.

"A huge, huge 'Thank you' to the public, to Santa Fe, to New Mexico, to everybody from around the country and around the world who came to support these artists," Edgar said in an interview.

"I can't even describe how heartwarming it is to see the world come together in such a positive way," she added.

This year, IFAM welcomed new artists like Micaela Yaj Sunú, a master embroiderer from Guatemala, as well as regulars like Mathapelo Ngaka-Mtati, the co-founder of a South African nonprofit beadwork collective, who remembers the very first iteration of the market in 2004.

This year also marked IFAM's second year in Railyard Park. Though this year brought a few logistical changes to adapt to the park — such as installing flooring in specialty tents to mitigate dust, providing more hydration stations and moving bathrooms to a better location — the organization has "no plans" to return to its former spot on Museum Hill or make any other venue changes, Edgar said in a previous interview.

This year, IFAM also brought back the children's passport program — a family-friendly market tradition that hasn't been seen since the start of the pandemic. Children at IFAM were able to grab a paper "passport" and visit artists to collect flag stickers representing their home countries.

It made for a fun activity for the market's youngest visitors — and the artists. "Artists were just waiting for kids to come around and get that stamp, which was super fun," Edgar said.

But IFAM also saw a few firsts this year.

Notably, it offered free admission Sunday for the first time — a change Edgar hailed as a huge success.

Many of Sunday's marketgoers — some visiting for the first time — came to peruse the artists' works while others wanted to experience mid-market performances. Sunday also brought IFAM die-hards some extra savings, since the market's artists place their items on sale after 1 p.m. Sunday.

"It was really fun to open it wide up to the community and have some people who had never experienced it see the market," Edgar said.

Edgar is already looking ahead to the second week of July 2025. One thing she would like to improve upon for next year is increasing attendance for IFAM's lecture series, which introduces members of the public to the market's artists, in addition to other speakers.

There are other logistical changes to make, too, Edgar said, like retaining many food vendors.

"[There are] lots of little tweaks to make, and we're always looking to add more shade, more water, all of the things you need at the second week of July," Edgar said.

On Tuesday, the market's organizers gathered to cash out this year's 167 IFAM artists. Whether they make $7,000 or $70,000, Edgar said the market sales make a difference for the artists as they return to their more than 50 home countries.

"It really makes a huge impact in these communities, and it's fun to see that at the end," she said.