About 1,000 admirers of folk art braved lightning, gusty winds and occasional downpours Friday evening to get a first look at works of art from 46 countries and to rub shoulders and have their pictures taken with some of the 133 artists.

The stormy weather sent attendees seeking cover under numerous tents and into display booths but failed to dampen the spirit of the reception opening the 2009 Santa Fe International Folk Art Market on Museum Hill.

Those gathered applauded and cheered during the traditional procession of artists from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe who paraded onto the stage and then into the crowd to mingle with those who had paid $250 for a pair of tickets to chat it up with the artists and scout their buying strategy for the weekend.

Sales of works were not allowed Friday night.

Linda Carey of Santa Fe said it was exciting to see all the artists and their exotic native dress, but the main reason she was there was to get a leg up on her shopping plans for today and Sunday.

"I've got to plan my strategy," Carey said. Many of the most sought-after pieces of art, from jewelry to pottery weavings to textiles and much more, go quickly soon after the market opens. Today, that's 9 a.m.

Carey had already met with one of the Uzbekistan artists whose silk scarves she is planning to buy. And then there were the baskets from Swaziland and Kenya.

She said she doesn't buy the items for herself but rather stows them away in a closet, then gives them away for such events as birthdays and Christmas.

Carey said some of the prices are so inexpensive that "it makes you feel guilty, but you buy them anyway."

Melissa Lagrone made the trip from Fort Worth, Texas, especially for the market. She said she feels that purchasing from the international artists helps to support their economies back home. "It makes you feel like you are giving back to their communities," she said.

It was the sixth year at the market for jewelry craftsman Moussa Albaka from Niger. "I do great," he said of his yearly sales.

Chigedze Chinyepi from Botswana said the international artists appreciate the fact that so many Santa Feans value their work and recognize the time it takes to create even a small art object.

"They know what it is like for a woman to sit and weave a small basket for a month," she said.

Chinyepi also praised Santa Feans in general. "People in Santa Fe are so humble, so unlike Americans" in other cities.

Contact Dennis Carroll at dcarroll@sfnewmexican.com.

IF YOU GO

The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Sunday. Tickets for the general public are $15 today and $5 on Sunday. Early-bird tickets for today, which will allow you in at 7:30 a.m., are $50. Children under 16 are free all weekend. All tickets include admission to the three museums on Museum Hill.