Shopping: Crownpoint

From the Source

Normally on Friday evenings, the rutted parking area outside Crownpoint Elementary School is quiet. But once a month it fills with cars sporting license plates from across the country, as aficionados of Native art flock to the monthly Navajo Rug Auction in Crownpoint, a town of 2,630 people some 50 miles northeast of Gallup, off N.M. 371, in the Navajo Nation.

Trading post owner Lavonne Palmer began the auctions in the 1960s, when the plentiful supply of local Navajo rugs outstripped her ability to sell them. These days the auctions are popular events, thanks to the wide selection and prices that are well below retail.

The auction process begins when the weavers bring in their rugs. Auction manager Christina Ellsworth or another member of the Crownpoint Rug Weavers Association carefully inspects each rug to verify its authenticity and quality. Usually, 200 to 250 rugs are offered at each auction, made and brought in by more than 100 weavers.

While Navajo rugs are found in museums and upscale galleries across the Southwest, the mood of the Crownpoint Navajo Rug Auction is informal and homey, perhaps because it’s run by the weavers themselves. Walking from table to table, you, the potential buyer, can take stock of the goods: Unfold a rug and check for consistency of color, regularity of weave, an even thickness, and the quality of the wool. Note the rugs with particularly intricate designs—these will win higher bids. Small rugs go for as little as $25, larger ones as much as $4,000.

At few other venues can buyers find the diversities of style and region they can here. “We get weavers from all over [the Navajo Nation], each with their own style,” notes Ellsworth.

Perhaps the greatest reason for the event’s continued success is the personal connection a buyer can make with a weaver. In an era where most of our goods are mass-produced in foreign countries, it’s refreshing to meet the people who have woven these textiles by hand in their own homes. And in some cases, they’ve even carded, spun, and dyed the wool.

Free admission. This month, the auction takes place on April 8. Viewing, 4–6:30 p.m.; auction, 7 p.m. For info: (505) 786-7386; www.crownpointrugauction.com—Neala Schwartzberg