Spanish Markets

These annual events feature some of the finest Spanish Colonial art in the New World, and includes tin work, hand-made furniture, religious santos and icons, straw appliqué, silver work, pottery and textiles. The markets are usually held at the very end of July and the first part of December.

Straw into Gold

Straw appliqué, a traditional Spanish Colonial art, began in New Mexico in the 1700s when the territory was settled by Spanish colonists. Straw, an abundant resource, was already being used to fortify mud bricks used for building. Creative colonists began cutting the straw and arranging it into elaborate patterns to decorate religious items, frames and furniture - creating works that mimic gold-inlay.

For more on Spanish Colonial Art, also visit the Spanish Colonial Art Society at www.spanishcolonial.org.