The Indigenous Made Summer Market, featuring 40 artists and makers from all over Montana, will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Caras Park downtown on July 23.

There will be performances by powwow dancers at noon and perhaps a drum circle.

The event is put on by Indigenous Made Missoula, owned by local co-founders Latisha Buck Elk Thunder and Dacia Griego.

“The Indigenous Made Missoula Summer Market is a celebration of Indigenous art and culture, providing an opportunity for artists, makers, and talent to support themselves through entrepreneurship and art,” Buck Elk Thunder said. “We are thrilled to showcase the work of local Indigenous artisans and provide a platform for their talents.”

She said the event will be a vibrant celebration of Indigenous creativity and heritage, and the purpose is to uplift and center Indigenous artisans and makers while celebrating their unique cultural heritage. It will be an open-air market showcasing a wide range of handcrafted Indigenous art, both contemporary and traditional.

It’s free to attend, and the organizers hope to host a diverse crowd and have a welcoming vibe that’s family-friendly, inclusive and open to everyone.

“It’s a made market, so everything is made by the artists themselves,” Buck Elk Thunder explained. “For example we have Monica Gilles-Brings Yellow who does mixed multimedia. We’ll also have beadwork, lots of jewelry and we have a couple traveling artists doing paintings. It’s a really cool, eclectic mix.”

Last year, the Missoula Women’s Giving Circle awarded Indigenous Made Missoula a $10,000 grant to help them empower Native artists.

Buck Elk Thunder said they used the grant to build up their talent network and expand the database of local and regional artists.

“I’m an artist myself, and doing markets I got to know a lot of people and I’ve been a part of the community here for over 10 years,” she explained. “We’re just really connected to the community and we also work really hard on marketing.”

She and Griego met during a creative class when they were both doing beadwork for their daughters.

“It’s definitely a passion for both of us,” Buck Elk Thunder said. “We were talking about the markets and what we needed in Missoula. We decided we needed a space to gather and decided to create an inclusive market. The feedback we’ve gotten is great.”

Their past events have been a hit.

“A lot of artists have said it’s amazing and encouraging to participate in a market that’s run by people who look like them,” she said.

All the artists can set up for free due to sponsorship of the event by the All Nations Health Center, Art Attic Framing and Design and Rockin’ Rudy’s.

“Indigenous Made Missoula is dedicated to uplifting and creating opportunities for Indigenous artists, makers, and talent to support themselves through entrepreneurship and art,” Buck Elk Thunder said. “We hope that our event will provide a platform for these artists to showcase their work, share their unique cultural heritage, and inspire others to support Indigenous art and artists.”

For more information visit indigenousmademissoula.org.