Exhibitor Joe Ogle
Kermezaar is a weekend arts and crafts festival showcasing the work of local and national artists. From oil paintings to pottery to handcrafted handbags to fine jewelry, Kermezaar features the most unique handmade items available anywhere in El Paso.
Kermezaar serves as the International Museum of Art’s largest yearly fundraiser. Proceeds from Kermezaar are used to keep the International Museum of Art open free to the public. They also help the Museum provide educational programming to El Pasoans of all ages.
The Kermezaar festival began in 1971 when Bette Hervey asked Hazel Haynesworth, her dear friend, to organize a fundraising event to benefit the Museum. These two women envisioned a casual two-day art fair that would be open to everyone featuring lively entertainment, hammer auctions, silent auction, and booth displays. Next, they had to think up a name. They took the Latin word “kermes” which means carnival, and combined it with the second syllable of “bazaar” which means a bustling outdoor market, and formed the name “Kermezaar”.
A handcrafted bracelet in the booth of Irma Trujillo
Congratulations to those two ladies and their vision. This autumn celebration is still synonymous with all of the original events scheduled and it remains a great place to purchase unusual gifts for all ages.
Although held at the El Paso Convention Center for many years, in 2007, Kermezaar moved to the International Museum of Art.
This new venue in 2007 prompted a great increase in artist participation. In 2008, Kermezaar at the International Museum of Art expanded with an outdoor tent holding 30 additional booths. This brought the total number of participating vendors in 2008 to more than ninety. The number of participating artists has now outgrown the space at the Museum! For the first time, in 2009, Kermezaar will be held at El Maida shrine located at 6331 Alabama and will again host the event in 2010.
An exhibitor's booth
While the organizers of Kermezaar invite all artists to submit work for consideration, the jury process selects based on the following criteria: originality, artistic merit, and value.
All work shown at Kermezaar must be handmade. No commercially fabricated products will be accepted. Applications and artist information for Kermezaar 2010 will be available online in the future.
Kermezaar 2010 is scheduled for the last weekend in September 25 & 26 and will be held at El Maida Shrine, 6331 Alabama. Check back in calendar for exact dates.