Sometimes we find the makers. Sometimes we just happen to wander right into them.

We met Angel Rodrigues, the artist behind The Head’s Creation at the Contemporary Hispanic Market in Santa Fe, and her work was pretty hard to walk past without stopping.

Her hand-painted ornaments are full of color, detail and unmistakable New Mexico personality. From traditional Zia-inspired designs to whimsical lizards and Southwest landscapes, each piece is painted by hand and has its own character.

And if you'd rather see her work in person, you're in luck. The Head’s Creation will be popping up at several events this month, so keep an eye on the calendar. You may just run into her while you're out exploring too.

Discover The Head’s Creation →

There’s something special about jewelry that still shows the hand of the person who made it.

Barbara Hoffman of Silver Otter Jewelry creates wearable art using fine silver, bronze and copper metal clay, often pairing her pieces with semiprecious stones and dichroic glass.

Her work has wonderful texture and detail, and no two pieces feel quite the same. From the flash of color in a stone to the organic shapes and sculpted silver surrounding it, these are the kinds of pieces that make you lean in for a closer look.

Barbara is based in Tijeras, New Mexico, and you can discover more of her work in her New Mexico Artisan Collective profile.

Meet Barbara & See Her Jewelry →

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
October 4–12 | Albuquerque
You probably don't need us to tell you Balloon Fiesta is coming. 😂 But it's officially that time of year when the skies over Albuquerque become part of the show.

Santa Fe Artists Market
October 3 | Santa Fe
Spend part of your Friday discovering local artists and makers in Santa Fe. An easy addition to a fall day trip.

Corrales Harvest Festival
October 4–5 | Corrales
Fall in Corrales is hard to beat. The annual Harvest Festival brings together local traditions, community and plenty of reasons to spend a day wandering the village.

And that's barely the beginning. We've got artisan markets, craft fairs, harvest festivals and events happening all across New Mexico this month.

Shop from local makers and vendors, enjoy a morning in Placitas, and support a local nonprofit while you’re there.

.🍂 Placitas Seller’s Market
Saturday, October 10 | 8 AM–1 PM
221 NM Hwy 165, Placitas
Featured nonprofit: Girl Scout Troop 10634 of Placitas

🎁 Placitas Open-Air Holiday Market
Saturday, October 24 | 8 AM–1 PM
221 NM Hwy 165, Placitas
Featured nonprofit: Toys for Tots

And if you joined us for Issue #1, you already know our recommendation: don't make Placitas an errand. Wander the market, talk to the makers, grab some coffee and enjoy the drive.

Twyla Caudill of TL Double C Creations is already creating beautiful handcrafted pieces. Now we’re helping her build the business around them.

As NMAC's Founding Artisan, Twyla will be working directly with us to take TL Double C Creations through a complete brand and digital transformation.

We're working with her on her brand identity, website, artisan profile, social media presence, marketing materials and an overall digital strategy designed to help more people discover her work and help her grow her business.

Because here's something we've learned from talking with New Mexico makers:

Being great at making something and knowing how to market it are two completely different skills.

You shouldn't have to become a web designer, social media manager, copywriter and digital marketer just because you make beautiful things.

That's where we come in.

The directory is free. Visibility is the starting point. Additional marketing and business-growth support is available for makers who want it.

New Mexico is full of talented artists, makers and creative small businesses. The problem isn't a lack of creativity. Sometimes it's simply being found.

That's one of the reasons we created the New Mexico Artisan Collective.

We're building a place where New Mexico's artists and makers can be discovered, where local markets and creative events can reach more people, and where the rest of us can find more reasons to shop local, explore our communities and support the people creating right here at home.

For artisans, that means another place to be seen, share their work and connect with potential customers and opportunities.

For our communities, it means keeping more attention and dollars local while celebrating the people and places that give each community its character.

And for New Mexico? It means telling more of the stories that make this state unlike anywhere else.

Because when local artists and small businesses are easier to find, everybody benefits.

THIS IS WHAT CONNECTION LOOKS LIKE
We met Jim at a local market. That introduction led to another conversation, which led to another connection, and eventually to NMAC working with the Placitas Studio Tour as it prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Sometimes supporting local starts with something as simple as saying hello.

Maybe it's a market you've never visited, a maker whose booth catches your eye, or a little place you normally would have driven right past.

That's really what Made & Found is about. Getting out there, looking around, meeting people and discovering more of what makes New Mexico such an interesting place to call home.

We'll keep exploring. You keep coming along.

See you next week,
Tammy, Terry & Gil
New Mexico Artisan Collective

Come along. We found some good stuff. 😉