The inaugural iteration of Santa Fe Invitational will take place April 8–11, 2027 at the Santa Fe Convention Center, hosting some forty-five international galleries as well as artists, collectors, and various local and international institutions. A press release describes SFI as a “cultural summit built around cultivating the relationships, knowledge, confidence, and curiosity,” though further details have yet to be formally announced. The organization bills itself as a new model of international art fair, one that not only offers a marketplace but also creates a cultural “ecosystem” involving the broader Santa Fe community. It is the first such fair in the Southwestern United States.

Cultured reports that the main fair will include a conversation series with such cultural luminaries as Roberta Smith and Cynthia Rowley, as well as satellite exhibitions, site-specific installations, performances, and tours of private homes and collections throughout the city. SFI was conceived by Michael Stein, owner of Tesuque Village Market, a restaurant and general store in Santa Fe.

“I’ve learned that culture happens when people have a reason to come together—and a place that makes them want to stay,” he told Cultured. “The Santa Fe Invitational grows from that same belief in the power of bringing people together—artists, collectors, galleries, cultural leaders, and communities—to share ideas, discover new perspectives, and create meaningful connections across cultures and disciplines.

Michael Phelan, who cofounded the Marfa Invitational in 2019, has been announced as SFI’s creative director and curator. He touted the “more human and relationship-driven” aspects of the invitational. “We are not simply building a market for today,” he said, “but helping shape one for tomorrow—cultivating the collectors who will sustain art and culture for generations to come.”