The Arts + Literature Laboratory is hosting the newly created Native Art Market.

This market is a celebration of Native art and culture. Over 20 native artists from Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota will be featured at the market, selling a wide range of traditional and contemporary art forms while also hosting artist workshops. The market will take place Saturday, Oct. 7 through Sunday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on both days with no admission fee.

In addition to shopping for Native art, visitors can attend artist workshops and demonstrations. The workshops will cover a variety of topics, including beadwork, quillwork, weaving, leatherwork, metals and clothing. The participating artists are members from a range of tribes, including Oneida, Diné and Ho-Chunk.

Allegations of a local artist posing as Indigenous and profiting from it in December 2022 motivated Dakota Mace, an Indigenous artist and co-founder of the Native Art Market, and Paige Skenandore, a member of the Oneida Nation and a UW-Madison graduate, to launch the market this past Spring to provide a supportive space for Indigenous artists.

Touch of Ukraine serving traditional dishes on Madison’s East Side

Both Mace and Skenandore are participating artists at this year’s market. Mace is an interdisciplinary artist whose work is inspired by traditional Diné symbols and motifs. Mace also focuses on translating the language of Diné history and beliefs. She uses a variety of beadwork, painting and sculpture in her work.

A University of Wisconsin alumnus and former research coordinator for the Indigenous EcoWell Initiative at the School of Human Ecology, Skenandore will also be a featured artist. In October 2022, she helped organize an Indigenous EcoWell Initiative Event, which featured numerous Indigenous artists showcasing their creations to over 100 guests. Skenandore is inspired by beadwork and takes profound joy in teaching others the beauty of it.

Tribal artists participating in the market must adhere to several enrollment guidelines, including submitting identification of a U.S. Federally Recognized Tribe and ID or passport. Artists also must be compliant with the Federal Indian Arts and Crafts Act. This act prohibits misrepresentation in the marketing of Indian art and craft products within the United States.