Travel Diary: Museum of International Folk Art

One of my very favorite places to visit when I'm in Santa Fe is the Museum of International Folk Art. The place is filled with every kind of art & craft imaginable: chairs, ceramics, puppets, blankets, wood carvings, collage, you name it. This trip I wanted to be sure to stop in for the exhibition called "Needles and Pins: Textiles and Tools." The curatorial work was wonderful: Greek embroidery, Japanese fabric stencils, a cotton gin from the Philippines, a brilliant blue spinning wheel from Turkey, Swedish ribbon looms, a Buddhist priest robe with swirling dragons of the brightest colors, even Italian suspenders! The gallery was a joy to walk through with everything so tactile, everything made to be living art. (The museum website doesn't have any pictures to share from the particular exhibition otherwise I would have put them up.) Needless to say, if you find yourself in New Mexico and have a love for fine craft and design, this is the place to go. Next time we plan a trip to Santa Fe we're hoping to make it to the International Folk Art Market. The tents were going up as we were leaving and it looked like one great art party!