by Bob Ackenhausen | Dec 13, 2019 | Footnotes
Window shopping in New York
New York City. This no place like it in the world. We did a stop over in New York City for a few days there before our trip to South Africa. The big new thing is ‘The Vessel’ in Hudson Yards. The Vessel is a public art project meant to attract people to Hudson Yards. It worked !!
Hudson Yards is the new high end (this is New York after all) mixed use development. The Vessel is this amazing thing and you can climb to the top, if you dare. It is eleven stories tall but climb is easy and fun. There are many landing areas as you go up. Each area give you a different view of the city, the river (Hudson) and the surrounding area. The stores at Hudson Yards are the same old high end stuff and frankly, not that impressive but the Vessel is a must see item.
Walking Down Fifth Avenue.
We of course walked down Fifth Avenue and there the shopping is, well very New York. The picture above is a display window at Bergdorf-Goodman. Now, as I said, there is no place like New York but the same is true for Santa Fe. We lived in New York City, Brooklyn actually, for three years but when the time came to leave we had the entire country to chose from and we choose Santa Fe.
New York vs. Santa Fe
I like to say Santa Fe is just like New York minus the crowds and super high prices. Come see us this Christmas season. You will not be disappointed ! Of course, if you do get the chance, you must do a stop over in New York City!
While you are out here in Santa Fe and you need to take a day off from the fantastic skiing or the incredible shopping, consider a tour of this historic city. Click here for more information about a great Historic Walking Tour.
by Bob Ackenhausen | Sep 14, 2019 | Footnotes
The corn necklace is made of large dried then dyed corn kernels. These are then strung together to become a rainbow of bright colors. The necklaces are a testament to the importance of corn as a staple for the Southwest Indians. Corn is one of the ‘three sisters’ of sustenance, corn, beans and squash. Of the three, corn reigns supreme and is celebrated in myth, ritual and dance.
The best and most fascinating time to visit one of the pueblos around Santa Fe is during a pueblo feast day. A corn dance is a signature event in many of these feast days celebration.
Attending a pueblo feast day and witnessing a corn dance is a great experience for visitors of all ages. The Nambe’ corn dance held my 6-year-old twin grandsons utterly spellbound.
Your Santa Fe Footprints guide will be able to provide you with information on all the pueblo feast days and dances.
by Bob Ackenhausen | Sep 5, 2019 | Footnotes
Blankets have long been important for both Indian and early Spanish settlers of New Mexico. They provided warmth, shelter and possible most important, status. Many tribes had long established weaving traditions. Indians began to acquire machine-made blankets in the late 19th century. This was done mostly as a matter of convenience. These became known as Indian trading blankets. These trade blankets became a standard medium of exchange in the old west trading post.
Pendleton Woolen Mills was founded in 1889. They became a well-known manufacture of these trading blankets. Pendleton designers gathered information from tribes across the country to determine the preferred designs, colors and geometric shapes for this market.
The Navajo are celebrated for their excellent hand weaving skills. The Pendleton blankets are still considered an enduring symbol of their culture.
Your Santa Fe Footprints guide will provide you with the history of art in Santa Fe and also advise on the locations for excellent Indian blankets.
by Bob Ackenhausen | Aug 22, 2019 | Footnotes
You’re in Santa Fe and you have heard about the ‘Squash Blossom’. Is it some kind of weird local flower? No. It’s a very distinctive Santa Fe necklace. It is distinguished by a large crescent shaped pendant hanging from a chain of silver beads. The crescent shape has its origins in the Middle East. It is believed to protect the wearer from the ‘evil eye’. Spanish conquistadors brought this style to New Mexico. Navajo silversmiths, under the influence of New Mexican jewelries, evolved to create their own unique style. The fluted beads of the chain are made to resemble the native squash blooms.
Originally made purely of silver, now turquoise has become an integral part of the squash blossom.
The squash blossom is just one of many spectacular pieces of jewelry made by local artist to be found in Santa Fe. Your Santa Fe Footprints guide will inform you of the history of Santa Fe art and as a bonus point you in the right direction for the best deals and most authentic pieces.
by Bob Ackenhausen | Aug 13, 2019 | Footnotes
This weekend, August 16 to 18 is the 98th annual Indian Market here in Santa Fe. It is the largest and most prestigious juried Native arts show in the world. Over 1,100 Native artists from the U.S. and Canada sell their artwork. The Indian Market attracts 150,000 visitors to Santa Fe from all over the world. Buyers, collectors and gallery owners come to Indian Market to take advantage of the opportunity to buy directly from the artists. For many visitors, this is a rare opportunity to meet the artists and learn about contemporary Indian arts and cultures. Quality and authenticity are the hallmarks of the Santa Fe Indian Market.
The artists are people from over 220 U.S. Federally recognized tribes and First Nations’ Tribes (Canada). To the casual observer, it may not be evident that there may be generations of artists sitting together under the same booth. Some artists have been participating in Indian Market 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and even 60+ years. Their artwork is the universal language, which speaks and becomes a part of our lives.
The Indian Market officially begins on Saturday, 7:00 am -5:00 pm and Sunday 8:00 – 5:00 pm. Saturday is typically when the die-hard collectors come to shop. Sunday morning is less busy and preferred by those Market goers who wish to take their time discovering and rediscovering the hidden gems of Market.
Santa Fe Footprints does not offer walking tours on Saturday and Sunday of Indian Market. Not only is it just too crowded, we believe you should be enjoying the market and not desperately trying to hear what our extremely informative guides are saying. We do have tours the week leading up to and the days following the market. These tours will help you understand what you are about to experience or if after the market, make some sense of what you have been through.
