Below are just a few photographs from Expo 2009 held at the new Santa Fe Community Convention Center!

 The Artists' Materials Expo 2009 Creative Expression was an assembly of artists' materials manufacturers, artists, art professionals, and the creative public. Artisan has sponsored and held these gatherings in Santa Fe since 2000. With the completion of the Santa Fe Community Convention Center, the 2009 Expo has been long awaited. It brought together great artists, a fabulous selection of world-class art materials at discount prices, as well as opportunities to take classes and explore new ways of thinking and working creatively.

Admission to The Artists' Materials EXPO: Creative Expression 2009 was free.  Just come, have fun, and enjoy!  The new Santa Fe Community Convention Center was ours for four days. There were manufacturer exhibition booths, free demonstrations on the exhibit floor, eight booths for local/national colleges and universities that have art programs, author book signings, CPDU credits for teachers through Highlands University, dinner/entertainment, and much more.

In addition to the free events, there were over 55 workshops, lectures and demo's.

Sign Up and Show Up With Your Creative Expression

Register for an Expo Workshop, and bring a piece of your artwork to hang for sale in our Artist Direct Gallery, on the Expo floor. Use the information form below to make a tag and bring it with your ready to hang artwork. When you register for a workshop be sure to register for “Artist Direct Gallery" as well to let us know you plan to show.   We will supply the security hangers and the professional gallery director to facilitate hanging and sales. Artist Direct Participants who hang work will be eligible for Gallery raffle prizes.

•   Size: 20” x 20” maximum, labeled, wired and ready to hang
•  Value ceiling: $500.  Sales tax will be added at the cash register.
•  Gallery commission: 10% will be taken off the sale, please include this in your pricing.
•  Exhibit at your own risk: Artist Direct Gallery will make every reasonable attempt to insure the safety of the works. (24 hr. guards)
•  Hours: Artist Direct Gallery will receive artwork during these times:  Thursday 12pm-5pm, Friday 10am-5pm, (Don’t forget: Gala Opening Friday (5-7pm) Saturday 10 am-5pm, Sunday 10 am-4pm. First to come will be served first.

How Artist Direct Gallery works

Artist Direct Gallery is a four day exhibition for Expo workshop participants. There are 500 available spaces. You bring in your artwork Thursday afternoon or before your class. You sign it in with the gallery director, on the inventory sheet. Please make sure your information is complete on the tag for your artwork.  If someone wants to buy your work, a ticket is written up and they take it to the cash register and pay for the artwork.  They bring back the paid receipt and may then take the work.  If your piece sells, we’ll send you a check, less 10%.  You will receive a copy of the reciept from the sale with a check.
Artisan will pay after the show. Please be patient. We will have a lot of paperwork. Thursday would be a good day for local participants to check-in their piece for the Artist Direct Gallery Show. Students might check in their artwork before class and may check it out anytime (hopefully after the opening). All work must be picked up before 4pm Sunday, sorry, no exceptions. Artisan is not responsible for shipping any artwork. Pak Mail (505.989.7380) will handle all shipping during exhibition hours.
Check Expo Updates in the boxed column on the Expoartisan homepage. We will post drop off instructions, further details

Drop Off Your Art on Thursday.  Register Now!

The Convention Center, located at 201 W. Marcy Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501, is within walking distance of some of the world's finest restaurants, museums and shopping, as well as 1,500 hotel and bed & breakfast rooms. The convention center includes a 512-vehicle underground parking garage. For convention center floor plan and more information:

Santa Fe Community Convention Center Interiors

View/print map/directions to the Convention Center. The convention center floor plan in a pdf document can be downloaded here.

Venue:
The Santa Fe Community Convention Center, with its awarding-winning design, will give us all the room and comfort that we need.  It's located in Santa Fe's historic downtown area and close to many fine restaurants and hotels. Santa Fe has a website, http://www.santafe.org/ with a link to the convention center with information on parking, floor plan and breakout rooms, as well as local weather and directions.  You can also call 800.777.2489 for information.

Hotel Activities and Restaurant Information:
The host hotel for the Artists' Materials EXPO 2009 is the Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza, 100 Sandoval Street, in the heart of downtown and within walking distance of the convention center. Be sure to mention the Expo when you call for our rate of $179/night. Call Hilton Info at 800.336.3676. The Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plazaʼs number is: 505.988.2811.

Exhibit Hall Times and Information:
The exhibit hall at the convention center will be open and free to the public with a quick sign-in for a badge.

Friday, September 18th, 10 am to 5 pm

Saturday, September 19th, 10 am to 5 pm

Sunday, September 20th, 10 am to 3 pm

Please remember: The exhibit hall will not be open to the public on Thursday, September 17th. Manufacturers will be setting up their booths.

Class Information:
Classes begin Thursday, September 17th, and will run through Sunday, September 20th. For best selection register early online, by phone, by fax, or mail. You may add classes on site, and classes that are still open will be listed at the registration desk. Cancellations must happen in writing before August 18th for a full refund, and by September 3rd for a 50% refund. After September 3rd, there are absolutely no refunds.  There will be a $15 class switching fee per class.

When You Arrive:
If you registered online, the only confirmation you will receive will be by e-mail. If you donʼt use email you will still be in the system. If possible, print out the class confirmation email and bring it with you.

On Thursday, the first day of classes, please arrive at the convention center registration desk 30 minutes prior to the start of your class in order to pick up your class tickets. You will see the signs and be directed by people in this area. The facility is easily accessible and in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

On Thursday evening, September 17th, 6:30 to 10:30 pm, Artisan will host the ARTe-Gras party in the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton of Santa Fe. Fat Tuesday, a very popular New Orleans style band, will be performing dinner music, then providing dance music as the evening progresses.  Only $35 per person.  Attendance is limited so sign up quickly.  If you're registering for classes, you can register for dinner tickets during the registration process. If you're not registering for classes, you can register for the ARTe-Gras Dinner Party here.