(1951/1947 – Present)
Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo
Barbara and Joseph are a husband and wife team of award winning potters. Initially they began making pottery together with small seed pots, and later began creating large magnificent ollas and jars. In 1971 they won the first of their long list of awards and ribbons – 1st Prize in the Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial in Gallop, NM. They have continued winning awards ever since at Santa Fe Indian Market, Gallop Ceremonial, and New Mexico State Fair. Their pieces are highly sought after by museums and collectors around the world due to their unsurpassed quality and very thin walled construction.
The designs on their pottery are well balanced and are derived from early historic Acoma vessels. Some of their favorites are parrots, rainbows, flowers, leaves, and other wild life. Joseph studied with his mother and learned the way of making pottery from her. He gathers and makes the clay, allowing it to age for six months before working with it. Each piece of pottery, after being traditionally hand coiled and smoothed, will dry for another several months before it is fired traditionally in a hand dug pit. Barbara does the beautifully skilled painting using natural mineral and vegetal colors. It takes the better part of a year to create each piece of Barbara and Joseph’s incredible pottery, especially the very large ollas they are known for. Each beautifully made piece is an individual work of art.