(1938-Unknown)
Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo
As a child Evelyn Ortiz learned to make pottery by helping her mother and has passed the knowledge along to her daughter, Judy. Using centuries old designs, Evelyn Ortiz creates pots decorated with exquisite and delicate designs and motifs: stylized clouds, geometric lines, indicating rain and other weather conditions, as well as and bird and animal forms. Each finished work has a spirit of its own. Ortiz harvests clay from local sources the Acoma have used for centuries and creates her pottery in the traditional way.
Many people feel Ortiz to be a rare and remarkable person, exuding a strong, quiet presence which radiates calm and rootedness to others around her, according to Kaia Stern, at Atrium School. Ortiz has exhibited her pottery at numerous shows including Santa Fe Indian Market and Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Arts and Crafts Show. Her work is also owned and displayed by museums around the country.