The Roundup | Indian Market and Festival

The Eiteljorg Museum announced two purchase awards and other honorees during its annual Indian Market and Festival.

June 24 and 25 thousands of art patrons visited the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis for its annual Indian Market and Festival. The event, presented by the Indian Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance, allowed guests to view and purchase by more than 120 Native American artists representing 60 cultures across the U.S. and Canada. The show delighted with its variety in categories—basketry, beadwork, jewelry, paintings, carvings and more—as well as styles that ranged from traditional to contemporary.

“The 31st annual Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival was an amazing celebration of Native arts and cultures, featuring some longtime artists whom experienced collectors consistently seek out each year, as well as some exciting young artists who represent the future of the market,” Eiteljorg President and CEO Kathryn Haigh said in a press release. “The Eiteljorg staff, volunteers and board members went the extra mile to make the event a positive experience for artists as well as returning market-goers and first-time guests.”

The highlight of the weekend was the juried competition that awarded $38,000 in cash prizes to artists whose works were judged by three Native art experts. The winners were announced on June 24 during the Market Morning Breakfast.

Among the top awards each year is the Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award that is presented to artists whose work is selected for the museum’s permanent collection. For 2023 two artists were bestowed the honor: Kelly Church (Gun Lake Tribe) for the basket WHEN THE STARS & DAWN COLLIDE and 13-year-old Aydrian James Day (Anishinaabe/Hochunk/Lakota) for the beadwork piece AADIZOOKEWIN THE STORYTELLER. Day is the first artist from the youth division to win the award and it also received the Margot L. Eccles Youth Award for artists ages 17 and younger. Along with the purchase prize, Church’s work received Best of Division: Basketry.

The Margot L. Eccles Best of Show Award, a $7,500 cash prize, went to Glenda McKay (Ingalik-Athabascan) for her doll LET ME TELL YOU A STORY, which was made from traditional materials. The piece was also awarded Best of Division: Carvings and Dolls. McKay received a third honor for a different work, titled BEAUTY FROM WITHIN, that achieved Best of Division: Cultural Items.

Another highlight was the Helen Cox Kersting Award, a $1,000 cash prize, that went to Raynard Scott (Diné) for the mixed-media piece DINETAH-POLY. The award is “given to an artist whose work exemplifies the highest quality of execution and innovation with a traditional Native art medium.” Scott’s piece also received the Best of Division: Innovative Arts.

Rounding out the Best of Division awards were a cradleboard titled THE MATRIARCH by Salisha Old Bull (Salish/Crow) in the Beadwork category; Leah Mata Fragua’s (Northern Chumash) 1.6 DEGREES in Weavings and Textiles; MISSISSIPPIAN BAT BOWL, by Crystal Hanna (Cherokee Nation), in Pottery; a purse with chain-linked strap by Navajo artist Tonya June Rafael in Jewelry; David Farnham’s OWL SPIRIT for Sculpture; and in the two-dimensional category CLARENCE WHITE, POKAGON ELDER, by David Martin (Pokagon Potawatomi).

The 2023 Market was the last for John Vanausdall, the museum’s President and CEO Emeritus, who retired on June 30 after nearly 27 years. In a press release, Vanausdall shared, “To see Indian Market and Festival grow and improve each year has been remarkable, and we have cherished our friendships with the Native artists and performers. Indian Market and Festival has raised the profile of Native art across the region, and working with the staff, volunteers and Board in presenting the market each year is one of the highlights of my time at the museum.”