"Each year at the end of the summer, more than a thousand American Indian artists converge in Santa Fe, N.M., to sell their work at Indian Market. It's the largest showcase of its kind, and a place for artists, museum curators and tourists to mix.

At dawn of the first day, the sluggish economy isn't immediately apparent as artists inch along in bumper-to-bumper traffic on their way to set up their booths along the plaza. But there is some anxiety mixed in with the cool mountain air.

Navajo jewelers Darryl Begay and his wife Rebecca are among many artists with serious concerns about how the economy would affect sales this year. Why? "Because we watch the stock market," Darryl Begay says.

The Begays had just won the best of show award for a concho belt with elaborate silver figures. It's a prestigious honor at Indian Market, which began in 1922, and has long been a magnet for the presentation and sale of authentic American Indian art. The market is a juried exhibition and all of the artists are here by invitation."

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Art Sales Uneven At Santa Fe's Indian Market (National Public Radio 9/23)