About Us

For centuries the Santa Fe Plaza has been a gathering place for the trade and exchange of goods and knowledge among various cultural groups of the Southwest. The Native American Artisans Program under the portal of the Palace of the Governors offers buyers the opportunity to interact directly with Native artisans who display their traditionally made works, as they have for decades. Their handcrafted items include jewelry made of materials such as turquoise, coral, and silver, and traditionally made pottery, beadwork, textiles, sandpaintings and more.

Founded in 1909, the Museum of New Mexico has promoted the perpetuation of traditional southwestern Native American arts and crafts. As stated in museum policy, the portal of the Palace of the Governors has been reserved for use by Native Americans as a place to display and sell works made by themselves or members of their households. Administrative and maintenance costs are covered by the New Mexico History Museum, Department of Cultural Affairs.

Native Artisans who participate in the program are enrolled in over 60 federally recognized Native American tribes, pueblos, or nations located within the greater Southwest region and beyond. Hundreds of artisans are currently authorized to participate in the Portal Program. All program participants are required to demonstrate technical mastery of their chosen craft as part of the application process.

The program is monitored by the Portal Committee composed of vendors elected by portal artisans at the program’s annual meeting. The Portal Committee is responsible for monitoring daily operations of the Portal Program and tasked with conducting daily inspections to ensure that only approved items are sold by authorized vendors.

Established rules and regulations govern the running of the program and ensure the quality and authenticity of the items sold. These rules have evolved over time to meet changing conditions. All rule changes are subject to comment by program participants, reviewed by the state attorney general’s office, and presented for final approval to the Museum of New Mexico Board of Regents.

As a reputable marketplace for traditionally made Native arts and crafts, the portal program has been a source of income to generations of Native American Artisans. Hours of operation are daily from 10:00am to 3:00pm.