Indigenous Art Market & Festival to showcase 50 Native Artists at NHMU

A dancer performs at the Indigenous Art Market & Festival at the Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City. The annual event returns Oct. 11–12, featuring 50 Native artists from more than a dozen tribes. Photo: NHMU

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — The Natural History Museum of Utah will host its largest Indigenous Art Market & Festival on Oct. 11–12, featuring 50 Native American artists representing more than a dozen tribes.

The annual event provides visitors with the opportunity to meet artists, hear their stories, and purchase authentic works directly from Native American artists. All proceeds from sales go to the artists.

“This market serves as a keystone experience, helping avid shoppers and museum guests connect more deeply with Native American art and culture,” said Jason Cryan, the museum’s executive director. “It always leaves guests with newfound understanding and appreciation for Indigenous cultures in Utah and beyond.”

Buyers can expect fine jewelry, pottery, sculptures, carvings, kachinas, paintings, weavings, beadwork, and sand paintings at a variety of price points. The festival also includes demonstrations of flintknapping and quillwork.

Performances and programs will highlight Indigenous traditions, including dance, conversations with local powwow dancers, and screenings of Sundance-featured Indigenous films. Designers from Utah Indigenous Fashion Week will also present a pop-up exhibition.

Peggy Fontenot, a beadwork and photography vendor of Patawomeck and Potawatomi descent, said she values the personal connections made at NHMU’s market. “Although I participate in large markets across the country, I love the atmosphere that NHMU provides,” she said. “The location is not only breathtaking, but the size of the market is also comfortable and accessible for both the artists and the visitors alike.”

The market is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. Museum members receive early access at 9 a.m. Admission to the museum is required to attend.

The Indigenous Art Market & Festival began in 2013 and has since grown into a major cultural event, celebrating both traditional and contemporary Native expression through art, storytelling, and heritage.

More information is available at nhmu.utah.edu/market.