Along with the draw of a major Native American art events, a slew of new restaurant and store openings make Santa Fe a top contender for that last-minute escape.
Every August, international aesthetes descend upon Santa Fe, New Mexico for the famed SWAIA Indian Market. This weekend, spread out around a central leafy plaza, the market plays host to a world-class roster of Native American artists: Aric Chopito's traditional Zuni Pueblo textiles, including a fringed rain sash; Russell Sanchez’s earthy San Ildefonso pottery; Shan Gorshan’s double-woven Cherokee baskets; and Sonwai's chunky 18-karat gold and silver jewelry pieces, which are also on display at the oh-so-perfectly curated Shiprock Gallery, to name a few. While the seasonal market will draw huge crowds, the city is worth exploring beyond the main plaza, offering a slew of new openings to keep you inspired, well-fed, and well-rested.
Fittingly, this weekend, ZOHI, a new contemporary Native-American-owned space is opening as well. “We wanted to bring a resurgence of Natives selling their own art,” says its founder, Zoe Urness, an Alaskan Tlilngit and Cherokee photographer perhaps best known for her image of a U.S. military veteran at Standing Rock, wearing a gas mask and clutching an American flag. Along with her Navajo partner, Lehi Thunder Voice Eagle, her space will be showcasing work by the filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, who has created a virtual reality piece based on the Standing Rock experience; works by Steven Paul Judd, Santiago X, and Gregg Deal; and Jacque Fragua’s politically charged street art.
And then there’s the fashion. Last month, cult Japanese label Visvim moved into a light-flooded Victorian house, where it combines a Zen aesthetic with a deep homage to Native cultures. From designer Hiroki Nakamura, the brand’s first womenswear outpost features high-rise leather moccasins alongside Japanese furniture and antique pottery. For Western ware, the beloved Santa Fe Vintage has an adobe home on East Palace Avenue with reworked indigo Mali cloth, cowboy boots, vintage denim, and turquoise jewelry.
Collecting all those beautiful crafts and fashion can work up an appetite—luckily, new bars and restaurants have you covered. The unfussy Mexican spot Paloma offers bone marrow tacos, grilled whole sea bass and mezcal-based cocktails, while the locally loved French café Clafoutis’s new storefront features airy croissant sandwiches and niçoise salads with white anchovies. For something sweet, drop by Dolina for dreamy slices of banana cream pie, Eastern European baked goods, and a fortifying espresso. Healthy açaí bowls, turmeric juice shots, and biodynamic seeds are on tap at the bright white-on-white Modern General—so are garden tools, cotton baskets, and ceramic mixing bowls. Just behind it, the cheery, salad-focused Vinaigrette serves peach burrata, kale Caesars and summery rosés.
After all the hustle, wind down at the Four Seasons Rancho Encantado’s new partnership with EQUUS, which uses horses for well-being and therapy sessions. Wellness is nothing new in Santa Fe, but harnessing the power of the herd and horses in an open paddock helps guests gain insight into their own personalities—in the season of the eclipse, even the most ardent new-age cynics could become believers.
