International Folk Art Market Lecture Series Celebrates Culture in Los Alamos

Jacci Gruninger, COO of the International Folk Art Market, is urging Los Alamos residents to travel to Santa Fe for IFAM’s July 9–12, 2026 market and its Cultural Lecture Series titled "Celebrating Culture and Creativity." Gruninger wrote that she misses seeing “all your friendly faces at the Senior Centers and around town” and called the lecture series a “hidden gem” of the market weekend that she wants to share with the Los Alamos community.

IFAM bills itself as the world’s largest exhibition of its kind, bringing “over 150 artists from every corner of the globe” to Santa Fe and operating from the International Folk Art Market Center at 620 Cerrillos Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Historical context in IFAM materials notes the market began in 2004 with about 60 artists from 26 countries and that artist earnings since inception have exceeded $31 million, impacting more than one million lives in artists’ home communities. Craftinamerica frames the market’s work: “The mission of the International Folk Art Market is to create economic opportunities for and with folk artists worldwide who celebrate and preserve folk art traditions.”

The Los Alamos-targeted lecture lineup published by IFAM leadership lists scheduled talks and speakers during the market weekend. Friday, July 10 at 1:00 p.m. is slated to feature Nevada Wier, described as an award-winning photographer, paired with Boyd Matson, identified as Host of National Geographic Explorer. Friday, July 10 at 3:00 p.m. lists Renee Neblett of the Kokrobitey Institute, Ghana. Saturday programming lists Sonica Sarna of Project Thrive, India at 11:00 a.m.

A conflict appears in the published schedule for a Saturday 1:00 p.m. session with Rodman Primack and Rudy Weissenberg. The Los Alamos listing shows “Saturday, 7/1, 1 pm” for Primack and Weissenberg, described in the notice as co-founders of AD100 design and AGO Interiors, which conflicts with the July 9–12 market dates and with the other Saturday listings. That date appears to be a typographical error and should be confirmed with IFAM before relying on it for travel planning.

Beyond lectures, IFAM’s Folk Art Connections program offers year-round events including lectures, films, workshops, and pop-ups designed to bring audiences closer to artists. One programmed example is a three-day Hilos y Colores holiday event featuring embroidery workshops and a pop-up sale with an artisan collective from the highlands of Ayacucho, Peru that supports over 800 women weavers. An IFAM Insider Talk example lists “From Fast Fashion to Thriving Ecosystems” with Carroll Dunham, Nilda Callañaupa, and Suzanne Lee at Sukhmani, 340 Read Street, priced in the listing at $56.93.

Gruninger’s invitation to Los Alamos readers closes with a practical appeal to “look beyond the booths” and “stay for the stories.” If the schedule and speakers hold as listed, the lecture series will extend IFAM’s market mission of economic opportunity and cultural exchange while giving Los Alamos residents direct access to global artists and their narratives. Verification items that remain: the correct date and time for Rodman Primack and Rudy Weissenberg, final speaker titles and affiliations, and current ticket prices for specific Insider Talks.