The International Folk Art Market Announces: Folk Art Innovation Awards
IFAM’s new awards program recognizes and rewards innovation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—April 30, 2025; Santa Fe, N.M.—The International Folk Art Market is delighted to announce its inaugural Folk Art Innovation Awards Program sponsored by art advocates JoAnn and Bob Balzer. Six awards, including a Folk Art Innovator of the Year award with a total of $10,000 in prize money, will be presented to winning artists, recognizing excellence in design, materials, process, color, and originality.
Photo Courtesy of Gabriella Marks. Featuring IFAM Artist Nozipho Zulu (Zulugal Retro | South Africa)
JoAnn and Bob Balzer have sponsored IFAM’s Innovation Tent since 2017 and were motivated to create an awards program that honors and encourages innovation in folk art. “The awards, open to all IFAM artists, are about embracing new ideas and practices. While in no way getting away from established traditions, they are about finding balance between preserving the past and adapting to the present,” said Bob Balzer. The Balzers hope the new Folk Art Innovation Awards will also attract a younger generation of folk artists and collectors to an art form that is constantly innovating and evolving.
Since announcing the competition, close to 80 IFAM artists have submitted entries. The Folk Art Innovation Awards will be awarded at a special ceremony held during the annual Artists' Dinner on Tuesday, July 8. “We thought it was especially important for the artists to be recognized in front of their peers,” said JoAnn Balzer. She hopes the Innovation Awards will offer something fresh and exciting for the artists to look forward to.
The 21st annual International Folk Art Market will be held July 10 through July 13 in the Railyard Park. For additional information and to purchase tickets to this year’s event, please visit: https://folkartmarket.org/tickets
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MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Audrey N Rubinstein
505-490-5029
audrey@themettaagency.com
About the International Folk Art Market (IFAM):
The International Folk Art Market Santa Fe is a 501(c)(3) with the mission to create economic opportunities for and with folk artists worldwide who celebrate and preserve folk art traditions. The International Folk Art Market envisions a world that values the dignity and humanity of the handmade, honors timeless cultural traditions, and supports the work of folk artists serving as entrepreneurs and catalysts for positive social change. The annual International Folk Art Market will return on July 10 through July 13, 2025. For more information visit, folkartmarket.org
Follow us on Instagram: @folkartmarket
