There are many unique pieces that tell a story at the Native Art Market in Scottsdale from paintings, ceramics and other art, where consumers can purchase authentic handcrafted Native items directly from artists and the public can enjoy food and performances as well.  

The market was started by Heather Tracy in 2018, to give artists the opportunity to showcase their items and share their story. 

Tracy was inspired by her mother, Denise Rosales, to fulfill her dream of creating a place for the community to come together. The family is fifth-generation Navajo. 

The market has increasingly grown within the past few years. 

The market has two different locations throughout the year. One location is an indoor market in Old Town Scottsdale and is open year round every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

There are more than 400 small businesses included in the indoor market. 

“Native Art Market’s strives to create safe spaces for Native Americans to sell directly to the public. While providing a safe cultural space to meet, interact and support Indigenous communities,” said the mission statement of Native Art Market. 

The other location is the outdoor market at the Pavilions at Talking Stick Shopping Center, which is open weekends from November through March and closed during the warmer months. 

“We feature 20, over 20 to 25 vendors every weekend and so this gives them an opportunity to sell their artwork directly. So that instead of having them go sell their artwork to traders for pennies on the dollar,” said Rosales. 

Rosales added her favorite part about the market is volunteering. 

“It’s all about volunteering. We are helping our people, our own indigenous communities, and everything is for, we don’t make any money here. We just do it to help them benefit,” said Rosales. 

Amos Hasken, who was born and raised on a remote part of the Navajo Reservation, is one of the artists at the Native Art Market in Scottsdale.

Vanessa Mountain, a Navajo volunteer who helps out regularly, discussed the authenticity of products they have at the market that make it unique. 

“...In this little market, everything has to be authentic. So we don’t carry anything that’s mass produced, nothing that’s imported, or anything that’s like not Native American made and so everything is actually made by not only ourselves, our family members and our friends, so everything comes from the community….” said Mountain. 

One of the artists, Buddy Tubinaghtewa, grew up on the Hopi Reservation. He discussed how he became an artist by demonstrating carving at the Heard Museum. 

“It began at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. They hired me down there as a demonstrator and people liked my work and the Heard Museum is a big deal. So people from all over the country that were welcomed to the Heard Museum and they would say can you carve, log and can you carve an owl…” said Tubinaghtewa.  

Tubinaghtewa’s inspiration led from carvings to creating paintings and putting designs on different pieces of clothing. 

Another artist, Navajo silversmith Glendbah Roan, said the market provides opportunities for artists to sell directly to consumers. 

“...It is great because it gives us opportunity to market to people who live here in the Scottsdale area, in the metropolitan area. It’s awesome because what we do is we create these pieces where we live and we come from all four corners, some come from Utah, some come from Colorado and New Mexico, we come from New Mexico…” said Roan. 

“So it's a great place that we're able to sell, dance, have a community and get to enjoy each other's community,” said Roan.

Alanna Goodman is a student at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University.