The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art invites documented Native American artists to apply for its 2002 Indian Market, which will take place June 22 and 23 in Indianapolis. The application deadline is Jan. 31. Rated among the top 10 markets in the country, the Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market presented by Ameritech is the largest juried show and sale of Native American art in the Midwest. In 2001, nearly 130 artists representing 40 tribes displayed and sold works. The preview party (always held the Friday evening before the market opens) and market drew almost 8,000 visitors, shoppers and collectors.
The Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market presented by Ameritech has two main components: a juried arts competition with cash prizes, and a sales show. To be eligible for participation in either component, artists must be documented members of a state- or federally recognized tribe. Artwork must be handmade by the artist, must have been made
within the last two years, must be available for purchase during the market and must not
include any part of a protected species of animal. A panel of noted artists and arts professionals reviews all submissions and selects the artists for the Indian Market. The selection process is blind, and selection is based solely on the slides artists submit with their applications. There is no limit on the number of artists that can be selected for participation in the market.
Sales can occur during the preview party on June 21 and during the market on June 22 and 23. The Eiteljorg Museum does not retain a commission from sales.
If they are accepted into the market and if they choose to do so, artists can compete for $14,000 in prize money in a juried competition, held on the Friday preceding the market. Artists can compete in the following nine divisions: jewelry; pottery; basketry; beadwork; cultural items; weavings and textiles; fine art sculpture; traditional carvings and dolls; and paintings, drawings and prints. The museum presents awards in individual categories within each division, awards for Best of Division and one award for Best of Show. Qualified jurors select the winners.
To make the Indian Market even more attractive to visitors, the Eiteljorg Museum also presents Native American traders, who participate by invitation only. The museum invites traders who can represent artists, materials or cultural areas that do not have a substantial presence among the artists in the market. In addition, Native American food, dancers, singers, food experts and demonstrators (arts and crafts) make the Indian Market a more complete cultural experience.
This year's Indian Market will coincide with the opening of the Eiteljorg Museum's new gallery, Mihtohseenionki: The People's Place. For the first time, the Native peoples of Indiana will have a permanent presence in the museum. Through beautiful rare objects, dramatic history, dynamic video and interactive opportunities, visitors can explore the breadth of Native cultures from this region. Most importantly, a mixture of art and artists from history and from today will let visitors see that Native cultures are not of the past, but are of the present - and the future.
For an Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market application, call (317) 636-9378 - Jaq Nigg, festivals manager, is at ext. 169, and Ray Gonyea (Onondaga), curator of Native American art and culture, is at ext. 123. Artists can print an application from www.eiteljorg.org; go to Events & Exhibits. The application materials include booth rental rates.
The Westin Indianapolis is the official hotel for the 2002 Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market. Guests must call (800) WESTIN-1 (937-8461) no later than May 22 to reserve a room at $149 per night, single or double. The hotel is just one block east of the Eiteljorg Museum.
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