Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe. This young festival (3 years old) is one of the most exciting art events of the year, bringing together 120 master folk artists from 34 different countries.

On a beautiful Saturday morning at the market, I stood and watched a woman from Mexico make intricate carvings on gourds using an ordinary steel nail and a Bic cigarette lighter. It caused me to marvel at the human spirit, where one combines creativity with the tools and materials at hand to produce amazing pieces of art.

It is instructive, at this point, to think about what is associated with the term art: New York galleries, the cover of Art in America, collectors, investment, critics, large sums of money, big museums. Perhaps then, folk art invokes something else. Maybe the term ‘folk art’ suggests creativity, self-expression, innovation, spirituality, beauty, and skill.

It is a refreshing thought, which is why I left Santa Fe with a renewed sense of optimism.