The Enduring Legacy of Navajo Pictorial Weaving

As Santa Fe prepares to welcome master folk artists from nearly 60 countries for the International Folk Art Market (July 10-13), it's worth reflecting on the profound stories that handmade art carries—stories of tradition, resilience, and the irreplaceable value of human creativity.

The mission of the International Folk Art Market aligns with the legacy of Isabel John, a Navajo pictorial weaver whose work embodied everything the market celebrates: the dignity of the handmade, the preservation of cultural traditions, and the transformative power of folk art.

Isabel John's story is both triumphant and tragic. On December 6, 2004, she and her husband Frank were driving from their home at Many Farms, Arizona, to Farmington, New Mexico—a celebratory trip after Isabel had sold a rug for a record amount. They never made it home. A drunk driver ended the lives of two people, including one of the most accomplished Navajo weavers of our time.

"Anyone who knew much about Navajo weaving could recognize one of her pieces from across a room," said Jackson Clark, owner of Toh-Atin Gallery in Durango, Colorado, who worked closely with Isabel during her final years. This recognition came from a lifetime of dedication to an art form that demands patience, skill, and cultural understanding.

Isabel's work graced the walls of the Denver Art Museum, the Birmingham Art Museum, and the Wheelwright Museum. She was honored as the guest artist at the opening of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe—the very institution that partners with the International Folk Art Market. Her pictorials won blue ribbons at the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial, toured the United States and Europe in the "Lost and Found Traditions" exhibit, and made her the only contemporary artist to grace the cover of a Sotheby's catalog.

Isabel's breakthrough came in 1973 when she completed her first major pictorial weaving. She took it to Dennehotso Trading Post in Arizona, where young Ivan Kennedy, filling in for his father, made a decision that would change both of their lives—and the trajectory of Navajo pictorial weaving.

"I bought that rug for $3,000, which was a lot of money back then," Ivan recalled. "My dad came home and got really upset. He told me that there wasn't a rug in the world worth $3,000!"

But Walter Kennedy, the experienced trader, eventually recognized what his son had seen. That rug became one of the few pieces he kept in his private collection until his death. Isabel's reputation was launched, and soon galleries and trading posts across the Southwest were eager to purchase her work.

When Isabel died, her daughter-in-law, Geanita John, faced an impossible loss. Having already lost her husband in a car accident the year before, Geanita stepped away from weaving for nearly a decade. But the pull of tradition and the desire to honor Isabel's memory eventually brought her back to the loom.

Today, Geanita continues Isabel's commitment to depicting traditional Navajo life, but with her own artistic voice. While you'll never see modern elements like pickup trucks in her work, she differentiates herself by incorporating borders with blanket designs and symbols from the Yei weavings that her mother used to make.

"It feels good to be weaving again," Geanita says. "I want people to enjoy my work as much as I enjoy weaving."

The International Folk Art Market envisions "a world that values the dignity and humanity of the handmade," and Isabel and Geanita John's stories exemplify this vision. Each of their weavings represents hundreds of hours of meticulous work, cultural knowledge passed down through generations, and the kind of artistic excellence that can only come from human hands and hearts.

In a world increasingly dominated by mass production, the International Folk Art Market serves as a vital reminder of what we risk losing—and what we must preserve. When you walk through the market this July, you'll encounter artists like Geanita John, whose work carries forward not just techniques and traditions, but stories of resilience, creativity, and the enduring power of folk art to connect us across cultures and generations.

The market transforms Santa Fe into a place where "cultures from all corners of the globe are celebrated; where folk artists are elevated." It's a celebration that Isabel John would have understood deeply—she was, after all, honored at the opening of the Museum of International Folk Art, recognizing that her pictorial weavings were not just crafts, but powerful expressions of cultural identity and artistic excellence.

As we prepare for this year's International Folk Art Market, we're reminded that behind every handmade piece is a human story—sometimes joyful, sometimes heartbreaking, but always worth preserving and celebrating. The pictorial weavings of Isabel and Geanita John are on view at Sorrel Sky Gallery, 125 W. Palace Avenue, through the end of July.

The International Folk Art Market takes place July 10-13, 2025, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For more information about this year's participating artists and their traditions, visit the market's official website.