Native American artist Maria Adelicia is of San Juan pueblo descent from San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico. This beautiful black pottery starts with white clay made from the finest materials available. Every line on each piece is hand painted, then high fired at 2000+ degrees Fahrenheit.

They specialize in hand coiling the large black on black and red traditional Santo Domingo pottery. The elements used to hand make these wonderful pieces are all provided to them from Mother Earth. The clay is gathered from within the Santo Domingo Pueblo. Then, the clay is soaked, cleaned, mixed, hand coiled, shaped, sanded, painted, and fired outdoors, with straw, bark, and manure. They sign their pottery as: Rafaelita & Darlene Aguilar, S.D. P. They are related to the following artists: Marie C. Aragon (aunt) and Vidal E. Aguilar (cousin).

Awards:

-None to date

Publications:

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographraphies

Frederica Antonio is a full blooded Native American Indian who was born in 1968 into the Acoma Pueblo. Frederica was inspired to continue the long lived family tradition of making pottery by her mother-in-law, Mildred Antonio. Frederica developed an interest in pottery making while observing Mildred hand-coil and paint on her pottery. Mildred taught Frederica all the fundamentals of pottery making. Frederica began making pottery at the age of 18.

Frederica specializes in contemporary hand coiled pottery with hand painted intricate eye dazzling designs. She fashions a brush from the stems of a yucca plant to paint her eye dazzling designs. She also paints a band on the side of her pottery with kokopelli (god of fertility). She also paints using different colors of paint so the pottery gives you a unique three dimensional effect. She hand coils a variety of sizes and styles, every one of her pots is a one of a kind work of art; there are no two pieces alike. She signs her masterpieces as: F.V. Antonio, Acoma, N.M. Frederica is also related to Melissa Antonio (cousin).

Publications:

-Southwestern Pottery Anasazi to Zuni

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

Awards:

-2000 New Mexico State Fair 1st Place

-1999 New Mexico State Fair Honorable Mention

-New Mexico State Fair 1st Place

-Gallup Inter Tribal Ceremonies Honorable Mention

Jose M. Antonio is a full blooded Native American Indian from the Roadrunner Clan.  He was born into the Acoma Pueblo on March 13, 1966.   He credits his mother, Hilda Antonio, known for her hand sculpted owls, and his grandmother, Eva Histia, for his inspiration.  They taught him all the fundamentals of working with clay art using the ancient traditional hand coiling methods.  He was a natural at painting his designs at a very young age.

Jose specializes in authentic hand coiled and hand painted polychrome jars and bowls.  He gathers the raw clumps of clays from the Acoma Pueblo along with the natural vegetation which is used for making the natural colors used to paint the designs.  He begins by breaking  the clumps of clay and cleaning it until it reaches a fine medium.   Then, the clay is mixed with water and other natural pigments and thus begins the hand coiling process.  He rolls out snake like coils stacking each coil carefully to build the shape of the vessel.  Once the vessel has been shaped and formed it is set out to dry.  Then, he begins working on the natural vegetation that he has gathered such as, spinach plant which provides the black color, and various other plants that provide more vibrant colors.   A yucca stem is fashioned into a brush for painting the designs.  Once the vessel has dried he sands it for a smooth painting surface.  Then, he boils his pigments and plant life to form just the right colors.  He finally starts the authentic hand painting process on his vessel.  He enjoys painting feathers and fineline designs.  Once the painting has been complete and the paint has dried Jose  fires his pottery in a kiln.  His family is well known for their exquisite hand painted traditional designs.  He signs his pottery as:  J. Antonio, Acoma.  

Publications:

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

Melissa Antonio, member of the Red Corn Clan and the Sun Clan, was born into the Acoma Pueblo in 1965. She  was raised in the traditional way and was taught to respect the Mother Earth, all its creatures, and the clay that it provides. She sparked an interest in becoming an artisan by observing her mother, Lillie Concho, at the age of 12. Lillie taught Melissa the process of gathering clay, preparing the clay, and making natural colors from other natural pigments which were gathered from within the Acoma Pueblo. By the time Melissa reached the age of 23, her skills had improved and her art reflected her experience as a fine artisan.

Melissa specializes in hand coiling the traditional black on white eye dazzler patterns. Her pottery is all constructed by methods used by her ancestors. Melissa will accent her pottery by adding a kokopelli band down the side of her pottery on occasion. She signs her pottery as: M.C. Antonio, Acoma.

Awards:

-1992 New Mexico State Fair 1st & 2nd Place

-1993 New Mexico State Fair 3rd Place

-1994 New Mexico State Fair 1st place

-Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonies

-1996 Eight Northern Pueblos Art Show 1st place  -1997 New Mexico State Fair 2nd Place

Publications:

-Southwestern Pottery Anasazi to Zuni

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

Mildred Antonio, member of the Eagle Clan, is a full blooded Native American Indian. She was born into the Acoma Pueblo in 1937. She was inspired to learn the art of working with clay at the age of 15. Mildred watched her aunt, Marie Torivio, construct her pottery and this sparkedan interest in her. Marie taught her all the fundamentals of working with clay using ancient traditional methods. Mildres has also been to several art shows to view the art of other pottery artists and gather some ideas for her own work.

Mildred specializes in the hand coiled traditional Acoma pottery. She is known for her swirl patterns, checker board patterns, and wild antelpe designs incorporated with flowers. She gathers her clay from within the Acoma Pueblo. The clay is hand soaked, cleaned hand mixes, hand coiled, hand sanded, hand painted, and fired outdoors, with natural pigments. Mildred gathers natural flowers and other pigments to boil her own colors on her masterpieces. Mildred signs her pottery as: M. Antonio, Acoma. She is related to the following artists: Santana Antonio (mother-in-law), Milissa Antonio (daughter-in-law), and Frederica Antonio (daughter-in-law).

Awards:

-1991 New Mexico State Fair 2nd Place

Publications:

-Indian Artist Magazine

-Southwestern Indian Pottery 1999 Edition

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

Deborah. Aragon, “Shri’My To Wi”, was born into the Pueblo of Acoma in 1963.

She began learning the art of pottery making at the age of 15. Deborah was inspired to continue the family tradition of making her pottery by her grandmother, the late Helen R. Vallo. Deborah often observed Helen’s hand coiling and painting techniques using traditional using all natural pigments.

Deborah specializes in contemporary stone polished and etched Horse Hair Pottery, otherwise known as “Greenware” or unfired pottery. Deborah randomly throws authentic horse hair on her pottery while its still hot and then, she removes the hair and she polishes her pottery with a stone. She also etches animals and geometric patterns on her pottery free hand. Her style of pottery has a unique Grey shaded color in comparison to the other horse hair pottery available today. She signs her pottery as: D. Aragon, Acoma.

Deborah is related to the following artists: Rose Chino, Grace Chino, and Helen Vallo (grandmothers). Michael and Robyn Romero (Brother-in-Law and Sister).

Awards:

-1999 New Mexico State Fair 2nd Place

-1998 New Mexico State Fair 3rd Place

Publications:

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

Acoma artists Diane & Wilbert Jr. Aragon use an airbrush to create the graduated color schemes in their pieces and then hand etch beautiful designs like kachinas, kokopellis and headdresses. Diane was born in 1965 into the Laguna Pueblo and has been working with pottery since she was 20. Junior was born into the Acoma pueblo in 1966 and has been working with pottery since he was 23. They sign their work as JR Diane Aragon, Laguna, Acoma Pueblo NM.

Rachel Aragon is a full blooded Native American Indian. She was born in 1938 into the Acoma Pueblo. Rachel is a member of the Eagle Clan. Rachel was encouraged and inspired to learn the art of working with clay at the age of 10 from her mother, Lupe Araon. Lupe shared with Rachel all the fundamentals of hand coiling pottery using ancient traditional methods. Rachel graduated from High School in 1958 and then began pursuing a career in working with clay on a more professional level.

Rachel specializes in hand coiled traditional fertility pottery. She gathers her clay from within the Acoma Pueblo. Then, she soaks the clay, grinds the clay, cleans the clay, hand mixes, hand coils, shapes, sands, and hand paints the pottery, using natural pigments which she boils together to produce the natural colors she paints with. Then, she fires her pottery outdoors, with wood chips. She is well known for her light weight pottery and her beautiful hand painted designs. She signs her pottery as: Rachel Aragon, Acoma, N.M. Rachel is related to: Mary Trujillo (sister), Emma Chino (cousin), Marie Torivio (cousin), Carol Loretto, and Geraldine Sando (nieces).

Awards:

-New Mexico State Fair 1st Place

-New Mexico State Fair 2nd Place

-Santa Fe Indian Market 2nd Place

Publications:

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

Ralph Aragon is a full blooded Native American Indian. He was born into the San Felipe Pueblo and married into the Zia Pueblo, where he has lived for the past twenty years. As long as he can remember, Ralph has had the desire to create his own unique style of art. With traditional upbringing instilled in Ralph, he has learned to respect the beauty of nature  which is evident in his animal motifs and earth tone palettes, which are abundantly used in his art. Over the years, Ralph has experimented with his own unique style of painting. He combines contemporary painting techniques with traditional Zia pottery designs, in order to obtain the rock art images and patterns that are associated with social and spiritual themes. Ralph is a strong believer in continuing the traditional ways of his people.

Ralph studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico., In addition, his own quest for a unique way to express his creativity has led him successfully to hand paint shields, pottery, and gourds. Because of this, he has created “something different” for us to enjoy and images that “help preserve his culture and heritage”. He specializes in hand painting handmade pottery using acrylic paints. He signs his pottery as: R. Aragon, incorporated with a Kiva step style, which is a celebration of Pueblo life and the festivities of harvest time.

Ralph is related to Dora Tse’Pe.

Awards:

-Santa Fe Indian Market 1st Place

-Eighth Northern Pueblos Exhibit

-Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial

-New Mexico State Fair 1st Place

-Publications:

-Southwestern Pottery Anasazi to Zuni

-Southwestern Pottery 1999 Edition

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

Martha Arquero was born in 1944 into the Cochiti Pueblo. She has been making pottery sculptures since the late 1960’s. Martha was inspired to continue the family tradition of clay sculpting by her Mother, Damacia Cordero. Damacia taught her daughter all the fundamentals of clay sculpting that her Mother taught her.

Martha specializes in handmade clay sculptures like mermaids, frog storytellers, nativity’s, and traditional storytellers. She uses all natural pigments to hand coil her sculptures. Martha gathers her clay from the hills nearby her home. She learned how to clean, soak, mix, shape, sand the sculpture for the right texture, and fire her sculpture the traditional way, outdoors. The colors Martha uses on her sculptures are also made from natural vegetables and minerals that Mother Earth provides for her. Martha signs her sculptures as: Martha Arquero, Cochiti.

Martha is related to the following artists: Josephine Arquero, and Marie Laweka (sisters).

Awards:

-Santa Fe Indian Market 2nd Place

-Santa Fe Indian Market 1st Place 1984

Publications:

-Storytellers and Other Figurative Pottery

-The Pueblo Storyteller

-Collections of Southwestern Pottery

-Talking with the Clay

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

Ambrose Atencio is a full blooded Native American Indian, who was born into the Santo Domingo Pueblo on June 11, 1963.  He learned the art of working with clay by observing his family members who were fine established artisans. He was taught all the fundamentals of working with clay using the ancient traditional methods. The lucrative aspect of the business was why Ambrose initially began to construct these fine vessels, but now he continues to practice his methods of hand coiling pottery to preserve the ancient traditional way of his ancestors and adds to their legacy.

He specializes in hand coiled, hand painted traditional Santo Domingo pottery. He gathers all his raw materials such as clay, sand, and natural plants from within the Santo Domingo Pueblo. He hand cleans the clay for impurities, mixes all the natural pigments with water, and begins hand coiling his vessels. Once the pottery is dry he sands the finished product to give it a smooth finish all around the vessel. Ambrose then begins to hand paint his beautiful designs with a stem of a yucca that has been fashioned into a brush. The colors he uses on his designs are also provided from plants such as: spinach plant and honey bee wax. His designs are usually the traditional bird, flowers, or geometric designs. He sets his pottery out to dry and then fires his masterpieces the traditional way, outdoors. He signs his pottery as: Ambrose Atencio Kewa, Santo Domingo Pueblo, and the year it was constructed.

He is related to the following artists: Hilda Coriz (sister), Arthur Coriz (late brother-in-law), Robert Tenorio (uncle), and Ione Coriz (cousin).

Awards:

-None to date

Publications:

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

Starr is the daughter of Henry and Jane Baca. She has won FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PLACE ribbons at the SANTA FE INDIAN MARKET AND The eight Northern Pueblos Show!  The Tafoya Family of Santa Clara Pueblo has been producing their famous Black wear pottery for generations. They use only natural Clays and slips found on the Reservation.

Johanna and Anthony work together on each piece they create. This art form was learned from well known artist Corn Moquino. They have 17 years of experience and work only with traditional methods. They do not enter their work for awards. While their work is of higher quality than many well known potters, they maintain a low profile status. They typically make traditional Santa Clara pottery with the serpent design.

Wilma Baca, “New Wheat”, is a full blooded Native American Indian. She was born into the Pueblo of the Jemez in 1967. Wilma was inspired to make pottery by her grandmother, Marie Reyes Shendo. Marie taught Wilma all the fundamentals of constructing pottery using ancient methods passed down to her from her ancestors. Wilma experimented with clay at the age of 5. She hand coils small bowls and outdoor ovens, and has continued to enjoy working with clay.

Wilma specializes in the natural hand coiled and etched Jemez pottery. Wilma gathers her clay from the grounds within the Jemez Pueblo. Then, she soaks the clay, grinds the clay, sifts, mixes, hand coils, shapes, paints, etches her pottery, and finally, fires her pottery outdoors using the wood chip firing method. She has been etching on pottery since 1989, and she does all the etching free hand. She doesn’t use templates at all. Her favorite pottery piece to coil is the wedding vase, because of its meaning: “The spouts representing two separate lives, the bridge at the top part unites these separate lives as one.” Wilma signs her pottery as: Wilma L. Baca, followed by the corn sign.

Wilma is also related to the following artists: Carol Vigil, Imagene Shendo (cousins) and Mildred Shendo.

Awards:

-2000 New Mexico State Fair 1st Place

Angel is originally from the Jemez Pueblo, but married into the Santo Domingo, where here husband, Ralph, is from. She has been making pottery since 1979. She was taught by her mother, Marie Coriz, and specializes in storytellers, nativity sets, and necklaces. She signs each piece A & R Bailon.

Joseph Begay is a full blooded Native American Indian born into the Navajo Nation in 1964. He learned the art of carving on stones from his friend, Jeff Lewis. Joseph began carving on stone at the age of 22. The lucrative aspect of the business played a key roll in him becoming an fine artisan. It is his primary resource of income to support his family.

Joseph works with natural materials found through out the southwest. The materials that he primarily carves from are: alabaster, serpentine, picasso marble, jet, dolomite, amber, argyte, and sillonite. His distinctive animals include life-like representations of bears, turtles, eagles, coyotes, buffalos, and several others. His carvings are enhanced by either a solid or multi-color inlaid heartline or a prayer bundle containing arrows, feathers, and heshi that he places on the backs of his carvings. Joseph is proud and honored to be artistically gifted with this special talent. He is also extremely enthusiastic about sharing his carvings with all who respect and appreciate his artistic abilities and his cultural background. He signs his carvings as: J.B.

Wallace N. Begay was born and raised at Tolani Lake, AZ just east of the San Francisco Peaks. Begay herded sheep as well as tended the family’s cattle and horses. Begay was born in 1957 during the early stages of the modernization of the Navajo reservation. Like many other Navajo kids, Begay attended a BIA Boarding school at Leupp, AZ. During  his immersion in the English culture, Begay began to draw using charcoal, pencil and eventually watercolors. Quincy Tahoma and Harrison Begay had achieved prominence in Indian art with their flat “Bambi” style of paint application. Many young Navajo artists emulated this technique, including Begay. However, Begay gradually began experimenting with texture created by charcoal. When Begay left Boarding School for High School at Windowrock, he had a substantial amount of training in the use of graphite, charcoal and watercolors. Art classes at  Windowrock opened new avenues of art in acrylic and oil painting, etching basic sculpture. Begay won many awards and began to sell his pieces.

 After High School, Begay attended college at Arizona State University where he was noted for his watercolor paintings. Begay left ASU temporarily and graduated from Maricopa Community College with an AA degree. Again, his art won student art shows. He later finished his studies in marketing at ASU. Begay worked as an Art Director for a feature magazine called “Navaho”. Shortly after that, Begay returned to college at the University of Arizona in Tucson where he was a senior majoring in painting and sculpture.

Awards: Begay has won several first prize awards beginning in 1982 at Gallup New Mexico’s Inter-Tribal Ceremonial Art Show, including one for pencil during the 1996 show. He has also won best in oil and watercolor categories at the Museum of Northern Arizona’s Navajo Show. Begay has won numerous recognition awards from the city of Gallup, New Mexico, University of Arizona Navajo County Fair and the Affiliation of Arizona Indian Centers, Inc. of Phoenix, AZ. Begay’s work has been featured in publications such as ENDURING TRADITION: Art of the Navajos by Lois and Jerry Jacka.

Art Style and Philosophy: “The perpetuation of the Navajo language and culture is important. I believe Native Americans have yet to see their true place in the modern art world as Chagall, Rivera O’Keffee, or Dali. My images are more surrealistic: realistic images in a deliberate dreamscape. I use traditional symbols to talk about the erosion of our culture but only to draw attention, discussion and hopefully resolution. I use painting, scratch board etching, graphite, wood and stone to express these ideas. Being a Native American artist of my generation carries a responsibility of communicating with the younger generations. They look to us for answers and inspiration. If we project the same clinched images, and worry only about the marketability on our art, we will fail. Our responsibility is to teach and carry on the culture, to replace our elders, but in this case, with the education of modern America.” W.N. Begay

Westly was born into the Navajo Nation in 1965. He was taught by his long time companion, Marie Francis Vallo, an Acoma potter who is the mother of Leland, Kim and Thomas Vallo. Westly's work is a fusing of Navajo and Acoma traditions. He has developed his own unique style, giving his pots an amazing contemporary flare. He is well know for his beautiful parrot, flute player and lizard designs. He continues to grow as an artist and is gaining in popularity among mainstream collectors.

Sasha Bluesky is a full blooded Native American Indian. He was born in 1972 into the Navajo Nation. Sasha grew up with solid Southwestern traditions and many different styles of art. His mother owned a shop in the Old Town Plaza and Sasha was introduced to clay art at a very young age. While Sasha Visited his mother at her store, he would wander for hours studying and admiring the beautiful art surrounding him. He credits Joseph Lonewolf for his interest in becoming an artisan. Joseph’s work always inspired him and he wanted to develop his own style of miniature art and become just a famous. He learned all the fundamentals of working with clay by asking questions and experimenting with natural pigments on his own. He also is a professional tattoo artist.

Sasha specializes in handmade stone polished, hand carved, and hand painted miniature clay art. His carvings include kachinas, animals, and feather patterns. He enjoys nature and that’s where his inspiration and creativity come from. He also enjoys working with miniature art because the challenge of working with clay becomes more intricate and minute. The details, shapes, and carvings within each piece is simply spectacular once completed. He signs his pottery as: Sasha Bluesky, Navajo. He is related to Whirling Wind who is his father.

Awards:

-New Mexico State Fair

Birdell Bourdon, “Vine Flower”, was born in 1957 into the Santa Clara-Tewa Pueblo. Birdell was motivated and inspired to continue the long lived family tradition of hand coiling pottery using ancient methods from her Mother, the late Marie Sisneros. Marie was a Professor at the World College in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Marie taught Birdell all the fundamentals of pottery making the traditional way of her ancestors. Birdell has been making pottery since the of age 10. The lucrative aspect of the business encouraged Birdell to become an artist.

Birdell specializes in the hand coiled Santa Clara black polished pottery. She gathers clay from the Tribal clay pits within the Santa Clara Pueblo. Then, she cleans, mixes hand coils, shapes, and fires her pottery the traditional way, outdoors with saw dust. She coils many different sizes and shapes, like wedding vases and bowls. She also makes melon patterns on her pottery. Birdell is a fine potter whose art is crafted very well. She is presently mentoring her children with the traditional ways of making pottery so they too may have a prolific future artistically if they need to fall back on the business of making pottery. Birdell signs her pottery as: Birdell, Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico.

Publications:

-Working with Clay

-Collections of Southwestern Pottery

-Pueblo Indian Pottery 750 Artist Biographies

Cyndee Sandia Brophy Toledo, “New Snow”, member of the Sun Clan, was born in 1957. She is half Jemez and half Tesuque. Cyndee was inspired to continue the family tradition of pottery making by several of her family members. Tradition is an extremely high priority in her life. At the age of 10 she began experimenting with pottery. When she reached the age of 18 her interest in pursuing a career as an artisan had become much stronger.

Cyndee specializes in handmade natural story pots and natural seed pots. She constructs her pottery by the “pinch & coil” method. She gathers all her materials from within the hills of the Jemez Pueblo. She hand cleans the clay, mixes, hand pinches, shapes, paints and fires her pottery, outdoors. Every piece of her pottery tells the story of the circle of life. The birds of paradise reflect the male courting the female with flowers. Baskets filled with food represent the food of life. The rain represents showers of blessings. The elegant swans represent the gracefulness of life, hummingbirds and insects represent pollination for fullness in life in all the directions of the wind within the steps of life. Cyndee has established herself an a fine artisan, and continues to grow with experience as time passes on. Cyndee is related to Art & Rose Sandia (parents). She signs her pottery as: Cyndee Brophy, Jemez, NM, followed by a title of her work and year it was made.

Awards:

-1978 Towa Arts Honorable Mention

-1979 Towa Arts Honorable Mention

-1981 Towa Arts Honorable Mention

Publications:

-Miniature Arts of the Southwest

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

Mary Cain is a full blooded Native American Indian. She was born in 1915 into the Santa Clara Pueblo. She began hand coiling traditional Santa Clara pottery in 1930. According to Mary, “Pottery has been a part of her family heritage since as long as her great grandmother can recall.” Mary’s mother, Cristina Naranjo, inspired and encouraged her to continue the long lived tradition of working with clay. Her grandmother, Serafina Tafoya, was also a great inspiration to her. Mary can trace her roots back to great, great grandparents Sarafina and Geronimo Tafoya.

Mary specializes in traditional hand coiled black on black or red Santa Clara hand polished pottery, with carvings of water serpents and bear paws. Mary says, “I love the work and will continue to do this for as long as I can.”

Publications:

-Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery

-Talking with the Clay

-Southwest Pottery Anasazi to Zuni

-Pueblo Indian Pottery 750 Artist Biographies

Awards:

-Santa Fe Indian Market 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Place

-Eighth Northern Pueblo Exhibit 1st & 2nd Place

-New Mexico State Fair 1st Place

Aaron Cajero is a full blooded Native American Indian. He was born in 1966 into the Jemez Pueblo. Aaron is a member of the Fire Clan. He began working with clay art in 1993. He learned the traditional way of hand coiling pottery using ancient methods by the members of his family. They taught him all the fundamentals of working with clay artforms. Aaron was quoted as saying: “I enjoy working with pottery because it’s an expression of how I feel about the beauty in nature and native American arts using all natural materials with mother earth has blessed us with”.

Aaron specializes in a very unique style of pottery which is a contemporary hand polished style. He harvests his natural slips and clumps of raw clay from within the Jemez Pueblo. He breaks down the clumps of clay and adds sand to temper the clay and hand mixes with water and begins the hand coiling process the traditional way, which is rolling out the  moist clay into snake like coils. Once his vessels are formed he sets them out to dry. Once his pieces are fully dried Aaron sands his vessels for a smooth finish. He hand carves various designs such as: bears, feathers, eagles, and serpents known as Avanyu’s which are believed to protect Pueblo People. He stone polishes his pieces to give it a beautiful shine. Aaron also fires his pottery the traditional way, outdoors with cedar woodchips. He signs his pottery as: Aaron Cajero, Jemez. He is related to: Joe Cajero (father), Esther Cajero (mother), Joe, Jr., Cajero (brother), Joetta Cajero, Loretta  Cajero (sisters), Anita Cajero (spouse), Teri Cajero (daughter), and Aaron Cajero, Jr. (son).

Awards:

-Santa Fe Indian Market 1st Place 2000

-Santa Fe Indian Market 2nd Place

-Santa Fe Indian Market 3rd Place

-Santa Fe Indian Market Honorable Mention 

Anita Cajero is a full blooded Native American Indian. She was born in 1965 into the Jemez Pueblo, she is a member of the Sun Clan. Anita began experimenting with clay at the age of 3, she learned all the fundamentals of working with natural pigments and slips from her  family members and friends. Anita graduated with a BA from New Mexico Highlands University in 1983.

              Anita specializes in hand sculpted and hand painted clay figurines, and traditional hand coiled pottery. She gathers her natural materials  from within the Jemez Pueblo. Once her materials are harvested Anita breaks down the clumps of clay and temper, then, she mixes them together to begin the process of constructing her beautiful  storytellers and fine pottery. She uses the pinch and coil method to build her figurines a similar technique to hand coiling. Once her figurine has been formed she allows the piece to dry. Once it has dried Anita uses a piece of sand paper to smooth out the rough edges. Finally, she is ready to hand paint using a stem of  a yucca plant which is fashioned into a brush. When she is done with the painting she fires her pottery either the traditional way, outdoors, or in a kiln. Anita enjoys making clay figurines because it is a way to express the Pueblo Culture. She signs her art as: Anita Cajero, Jemez. She is related to John Carrillo (father), Teresita Loretto (mother), Aaron Cajero, Sr. (spouse), Julie Loretto, Felicia Loretto (sisters), Leonora Loretto (grandmother), Esther Cajero (mother-in-law), Teri Cajero (daughter), and Aaron Cajero, Jr. (son).

Awards:

-Eighth Northern Pueblo Indian Market

-Santa Fe Indian Market

Publications:

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

-Pueblo and Navajo Contemporary Pottery

-Directory of Artists

-Storytellers and Other Figurative Pottery

Esther Cajero, “Bird Image”, member of the Fire Clan, was born into the Jemez Pueblo in 1944. She signed up for a pottery class in college and that’s where her interest in pottery making was sparked. In 1980 she started experimenting with pottery again, while watching her Grandmother, Petra C. Romero, hand coil her pottery.

Esther specializes in handmade storytellers, clay sculptures, and can hand coil pottery. She digs up her own clay, mixes, shapes, paints, and fires her pottery the traditional way, outdoors. Esther uses all natural clays and natural paints. Sometimes Esther will accent her storytellers with a parasol to add a little flare. She customizes to special orders upon request. Esther signs her pottery as: E. Cajero, Bird Image, Jemez, followed by a title which she calls her figurines. Esther is related to the following artists: Joe V. Cajero, Jr. (son), and Gabriel Cajero (nephew).

Awards:

-Santa Fe Indian Market

-Heard Museum Art Show

-Colorado Indian Market

-Red Earth Indian Market

-Santa Monica Indian Market

Publications:

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

-Storytellers and Other Figurative Pottery

Emery Calabaza was born in 1958 into the Santo Domingo Pueblo. He was inspired on his own to make jewelry. He began hand making his jewelry in 1973 at the age of 15. Emery is a self taught jeweler. He was also inspired by his creativity and economic motivation.

Emery specializes in hand cut wafer stone jewelry. He will search for raw chunks of turquoise or jet (hardened coal). He slices and grinds down the chunks of stone into small flat round wafers that he can string into beautiful necklaces, and earrings. Emery’s quality of work in wafer stone cutting is one of the finest you can find today. He makes the single, double, and triple strand necklaces. Emery does not sign his name on his work because it is impossible to carve it anywhere on his jewelry.

Emery is related to the following artists: Lita Lovato (cousin) and Thomas Calabaza (uncle).

Awards:

-New Mexico State Fair 1996 2nd place

Publications:

-None to date

Hubert Candelaria, “Butterfly”, was born into the San Felipe Pueblo in 1965. He was inspired to continue a long lived tradition of working with clay by the late Maria Martinez, who was well known for her black on black pottery, and Nancy Youngblood. Hubert is a self taught artist. He began working with clay at the age of 21. He experimented with different types of clay until he found his own unique style. He admired Maria’s work and hoped that someday he could develop his own unique style to the art world. He has established himself as a fine artisan and has reached his goal of adding his own style to the art world.

Hubert specializes in hand coiled contemporary swirl, puzzle pots, and holey pots with sharp rounded ridges. He gathers his clay from the grounds within the San Felipe Pueblo. Hubert hand cleans, mixes, hand coils, shapes, sands, and fires his pottery in a kiln. He has established a reputation of a fine artsman. Hubert signs his pottery as: Hubert Candelaria, San Felipe Pueblo, followed by the date the pottery was made.

Awards:

-New Mexico State Fair

-Santa Fe Indian Market

-Gallup Intertribal

Publications:

-Southwest Pottery Anasazi to Zuni

-Southwestern Pottery 1999 Edition

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

Myrtle Cata is a full blooded Native American Indian, member of the Turquoise Clan, who was born in 1953. She is part San Felipe and part San Juan Pueblo. She was inspired to continue the long lived tradition of hand coiling pottery from within her heart. The lucrative aspect of the business was also inspiration for her decision to become an artist. She has been hand coiling pottery since 1979. She attended many art classes to learn the art of working with clay. While going to school, she developed a friendship with Tina Garcia from the Santa Clara Pueblo. They shared special techniques and learned each other’s methods of working with clay.

Myrtle specializes in contemporary hand coiled San Juan style pottery. Her pottery style is simple in appearance. It is thin walled, graceful, and undecorated. She gathers her clay from within the San Juan Pueblo. Then, she cleans, mixes, hand coils, shapes, and fires her pottery, outdoors. She signs her pottery as: Myrtle Cata, San Juan Pueblo. Myrtle is a very creative artist that expands her creativity in many directions. She constructs men’s head dresses among many of her other creations.

Awards:

-1986 Santa Fe Indian Market 3rd place

-1997 Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial 1st place

-1998 Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial 1st place

-1999 New Mexico State Fair 4th Place

Publications:

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

-Southwestern Pottery Anasazi to Zuni

Sophie is the daughter of Francis Salazar and comes from a long line of women potters. Flora Naranjo, a well known Santa Clara potter,  is her grandmother. She resides in the San Juan Pueblo and makes the traditional Santa Clara Black deep carved pottery. She makes mouths of her pottery in square, triangular, and circular shapes. Her designs include kiva steps, clouds, mountains, and many other traditional Santa Clara designs.

Joe Cate is a full blooded Native American Indian. He was born in 1944 into the Santo Domingo Pueblo.  He was inspired to continue the long lived tradition of hand making jewelry from his ancestors using ancient methods of constructing the fine jewelry. The lucrative aspect of the business also encouraged him to become a jewelry artist.

Santo Domingo jewelers have an incredible history of creating essentially the same type of jewelry perhaps for thousands of years.  Joe colaborates with his wife, Rosey and they specialize in turquoise and heishi necklaces in which each bead is authentically handmade giving each piece an individual incredible feel. Their designs of the stone mosiac and shell earrings that they creates are beautiful, and while they look very contemporary, the designs are very ancient. He learned all the fundamentals of working with raw nuggets of various stones at a very young age.  Joe is related to: Joe Cate, Sr. & Crucita Cate (parents), Rosey cate (spouse), and Arvin Cate.

Awards:

-1995 Santa Fe Indian Market 1st Place

-1998 Santa Fe Indian Market 3rd Place

-1999 Santa Fe Indian Market 3rd Place

Publications:

-American Indian Jewelry 1 1,200 Artist

Barbara & Joseph Cerno are full blooded Native Americans. Barbara was born in 1951 and is half Acoma and half Hopi. Joseph was born in 1947 into the Acoma Pueblo. Joseph was exposed to art at a very young age by his Mother and Grandmother They both were recognized coast to coast as prolific and established artisans. Joseph was exposed to their excellent craftsmanship and traditional ancient designs. His participation in the process of pottery making was not encouraged. However, he was intrigued by the designs and shapes of ancient pottery made by his ancestors. Joseph & Barbara are, essentially self taught artists. They are among some of the finest potter’s of our era.

Barbara & Joseph specialize in handmade traditional Acoma pottery. The clay is gathered within the Acoma Pueblo grounds. All the materials used to make their pottery is from Mother Earth. They clean, mix, coil, shape, sand, paint, and fire the pottery outdoors, just like their ancestors before them. They both participate and contribute equally while making their pottery. They are especially known for their brilliant and large olla pots, with painted patterns of traditional brilliant parrots. They have studied the ancient pottery shards found within the many ruins in their Pueblo, so that they keep within the traditional styles of their ancestors. They have dedicated many hours of trial and error in perfecting the skill and artistry necessary to make quality pottery. Joseph and Barbara are widely recognized as the creators of pottery products that truly reflect the traditional styling of their Indian Ancestors. They have proudly demonstrated their skills in many events and they have conducted several seminars under the auspices of the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center of Cortez, CO. This has allowed them to extend their field of research into the the Museum of Western New Mexico University, which is recognized as one of the outstanding  repositories of the Mimbres Cultures. They have won many awards in which are too numerous to list. The quality of these potter’s will endure for eternity.

They have also introduced their children to the art of making pottery, the traditional  way. They are very proud of their children who have won numerous awards and are establishing themselves as quality artists. They sign their pottery as: Acoma, NM, Barbara & Joseph Cerno, followed by the year the pot was made.

Awards:

-Too many awards to list

Publications:

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

-American Indian Pottery 2nd Ed.

-Beyond Tradition

-Soutwestern Pottery Anasazi to Zuni

Renee Charley is a full blooded native American Indian.  Her father is silversmith Thomas Charley.  She was born in White Horse Lake, NM then moved to Grants and began making Kachinas and Artifacts.  Since 2001, Renee has been making headdresses and artifacts in Albuquerque.  Renee has four kids, ages 12, 10, 4 and 18 months.

Thomas Charley is full blooded Native American Indian.  He was born in in 1952 into the Navajo Reservation.  He was born and raised in Crownpoint, New Mexico.  He has been creating jewelry since 1977.  He specializes in his own unique contemporary style that he has developed on his own.  His style is both stylish and very dramatic while still having all the character and ethics of his forefathers that introduced him into the business.  Thomas’ jewelry features  strong sterling silver links over which he has placed a wide row of domed silver bars that create a type of rope motif.  Quite cleverly done, because by constructing it in this manner the jewelry is much, much lighter weight (and wears comfortably) than if it were of a solid casting style.  Then, on the either side of his bracelets specifically the big ropes are two smaller ropes of twisted wire done by carefully wrapping two pieces of sterling silver around one another, set in a polished frame.  His earrings, watches, rings, bracelets, concho belts, and bolo ties are all easily recognized by his beautiful sterling silver designs.  His masterpieces are very stylish, elegant, and oh so sophisticated.  He has always signed his jewelry with his logo TC Sterling.  Thomas is related to: Bessie and Doris Charley (sisters), Renee Charley (daughter) and Al Charley (brother) who also are known for their fine craftsmanship in the art of jewelry making.

Awards:

-Navajo Nation Art Fair Windowrock, AZ

Michael Charlie is a full blooded Native American Indian. He was born in 1976 into the Navajo Nation. He began his interest in crafting pottery when he was 16 years old. Mr. Charlie was inspired by his mother, Susie Charlie, who is credited for developing this unique style of art. She taught her son how to paint the colors on the pottery, as well as etch his pottery free hand. Michael crafts on many  different shapes and sizes of pottery like wedding vases, seed pots, water vessels, and ollas. He etches feather designs and other geometric designs. His favorite pieces to craft are the ones he crafts with quality stones of turquoise inlayed into the pottery. Continuing long lived traditions is extremely important to Michael and by constructing his art he feels he is adding to the long lived legacy of his ancestors. The lucrative aspect of the business was also inspiration for him to become an artist. He signs his pottery as: Michael Charlie, Navajo

Michael is related to the following artists: Susie Charlie (mother), Terri Charlie (sister), Brandon Charlie and Myron Charlie  (brothers).

Myron Charlie is a full blooded Native American Indian. He was born into the Navajo Nation in 1975. He began his interest in crafting pottery when he was 14 years old, in 1985. Mr. Charlie was inspired by his mother, the well known Susie Charlie, credited for her etching on the popular navajo pottery. She taught her son how to paint the colors on the pottery, as well as etch his pottery free hand. Myron crafts all different shapes and sizes of pottery like wedding vases, seed pots, and other shapes of pottery. He etches feather designs and other geometric designs. His favorite pieces to craft are the ones he crafts with quality stones of turquoise inlayed into the pottery. Myron signs his art as: Myron H. Charlie, “Navajo”

Myron is related to the following artists: Susie Charlie (mother), Terri Charlie (sister), Brandon Charlie and Michael Charlie  (brothers).

Awards:

-1994 Santa Monica CA 1st place

-1995 Pomona CA 1st