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Learn more about this year's Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Holiday Festival
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The 25th annual Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Holiday Festival is coming to Expo New Mexico — Friday, Nov. 28, through Sunday, Nov. 30 — showcasing 175 craftspeople and artisans.
For Melissa Antonio, pottery was passed down to her by her mother and mother-in-law. She is proud to continue the tradition because it came from her home, the Pueblo of Acoma.
Antonio draws on both modern and traditional styles, incorporating pottery designs from the past.
Antonio said her mother has really encouraged her.
“It makes me happy that this is what she grew up with (and) to be able to continue what she had done long ago.”
Antonio said the festival lets her share the traditional methods she uses in her pottery, like painting with a yucca brush.
“Once you start explaining the process, start telling them what it is, how it’s done and how long it takes you, then they appreciate it more,” Antonio said.
Denise Robertson and Ravelle Flores, like Antonio, are carrying on family traditions. The mother-daughter duo attends markets together, selling jewelry.
“My late husband was Navajo and Hispanic, and his family made traditional Navajo jewelry for years,” Robertson said. “Obviously, he had that background, and then he taught us, and then it evolved into many different forms of jewelry.”
Flores said her mom is her best friend and she is honored to carry on the family traditions.
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“I feel like my dad is proud of me, and I’m happy that I’m doing this,” Flores said. “I wake up and I’m excited to go to my studio.”
Photographer David Schneider said he has shown at the festival for 15 years.
“There’s one gentleman who has bought for me over the years,” Schneider said, “and between us, we’re not sure how many pieces he’s bought, but it’s over 40.”
He has traveled across the Southwest to capture photographs and said many times he camped out in the elements waiting for the perfect moment.
“There’s places I’ve gone to time and time and time again, and I know it can be absolutely stunning …,” Schneider said. “It’s beautiful, but it doesn’t seem right. So you just come back another day or another year. Finally, it’s like, that’s the vision.”
Sara Asadi, a dot mandala artist, connects with her Middle Eastern heritage through her art.
She said she works with Middle Eastern and New Mexico designs, such as the Zia, connecting to culturally significant geometries and symmetries.
“Anything that is symmetrical can be turned into a mandala, and you see it everywhere,” Asadi said. “I tend to love anything that has the feeling of a circular shape because it gives it a feeling of comfort and trust.”
