There are a number of Native American artists, and we feature many of the ones with which we are familiar. The information we have is what we could find, either from secondary sources or from actually talking to the artists themselves.
Sadly, many have passed and are no longer available for those wonderful conversations about their lives and their passions. If you have additional information about an artist that you think would be beneficial to others, please contact us with the information and we will make sure you get credit (if you wish) for your contribution. We are trying to preserve the legacy of these wonderful artists and give them the recognition that they so deserve.
Stetson Setalla
(1962 - present) Tribal Affiliation: Hopi "Good thoughts and a good heart are essential in working with your clay because you are creating yourself in each pot as you coil and when you are ready to paint the pot, a clear mind and good heart is crucial in assisting you with your painting because the designs [...] Read More
Nathan Hart
(?-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Cheyenne Nathan Hart is a contemporary Cheyenne artist from Oklahoma. His primary artistic focus is creating wood vessels. The vessels are hollow-form pieces that beautifully highlight the natural elegance of the wood. Hart uses different types of wood including (but not limited to) Maple, Ash, Walnut, Birch, and Pine. He is especially [...] Read More
Sandra Quandelacy
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Sandra Quandelacy is noted for her beautiful Zuni fetish Corn Maiden carvings… both as table fetishes and necklaces. Sandra is the sister of Faye Quandelacy’s and Kateri Sanchez’s aunt. Sandra started carving as a child and then turned to jewelry making as an adult. Learning from her mother, Ellen and father, [...] Read More
Lyle Secatero
(1988-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo The style that Lyle creates can be best described as handmade stamped, traditional and contemporary, Navajo sterling silver jewelry. The designs are typical of the geometric designs you will see on Navajo Rugs. The feeling is contemporary, yet the designs are ancient. One can see mountains, water, and eagle feathers in [...] Read More
Jeff DeMent
(?-present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Jeff DeMent is from the Dine’ (Navajo), Bit’ahnii Clan. He is the oldest son of George and Grace DeMent and grandson of Georgina Cohoe’ of Two Grey Hills, New Mexico. His life has come full circle, from innocent childhood to military combat, death, destruction and violence, and now an opportunity to [...] Read More
Steve Wikviya LaRance
(1958-present) Hopi Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Steve Wikviya LaRance was raised in the Hopi Village of Moencopi. His grandfather, a religious leader from Hotevilla, was a major influence on his life. At Hopi he learned the traditional arts of carving katsina dolls, making bows and arrows and working with silver. His first piece of jewelry [...] Read More
Art Tafoya
(1954-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Yaqui Few silversmiths match the power and artistry of Art Tafoya. He specializes in silver. Hammered silver. The old way. Art Tafoya carries on that tradition of the early masters, for he makes his own stamps and dies. Art’s clear and crisp stamp work speaks of skill and talent born of that [...] Read More
Jeanette Dale
(1949-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Jeanette Dale is a contemporary Navajo silversmith of the Red House Clan. She learned silversmithing from her mother. Since beginning to create beautiful jewelry in 1970, she has developed a traditional style all of her own. Jeanette Dale is best known for her beautiful coral and turquoise bracelets. She shared her [...] Read More
Robert Manygoats
(?-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Robert was raised in Cow Springs, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation in the northwestern portion of Arizona. As he grew up, his parents educated him in the traditional culture and prayers of the Navajo. Parents and grandparents, alike, offer the knowledge to understand ceremonies and prayers. As a young Navajo in … Read More
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Tim Yazzie
(1968-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo and San Felipe Pueblo Tim Yazzie was raised in the San Felipe Pueblo in New Mexico. His grandparents were pueblo pottery makers, rug makers and jewelers. Tim’s grandfather was a traditionalist, and a deeply spiritual man. Tim learned valuable things from him about his life and ceremonial events. As a youth, [...] Read More
Cliff Fragua
(1955-current) Pueblo: Jemez Pueblo Cliff Fragua is a Jemez Pueblo sculptor and stone carver. He is the only Native American sculptor to have a work installed in Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol: Po'Pay Statue Commissioned by State of New Mexico for U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall, 2000. Cliff comes from a family of [...] Read More
Tommy Jackson
(1958-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Tommy learned the art of silversmithing from his mother and father, Martha and Gene Jackson. He works both in gold and silver and has won numerous awards for his beautiful and unique jewelry from the Heard Museum Show in Phoenix, Santa Fe Indian Market and The Museum of Northern Arizona, to [...] Read More
Matthew Charlie
(1992-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Native American jewelry artist Matthew Charlie learned his craft from both sides of his family. His father, Lee Charley, is a jeweler and jewelry designer, as are his uncles from his mother’s family, the Martinez’s, who well-known jewelry-makers from Prewitt, New Mexico. Matthew loves creating new designs, while improving his technique. [...] Read More
Debbie Clashin
(1969-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Hopi Debbie Clashin, a member of the Hopi-Tewa Tobacco Clan, was born to Lorena and Morris Clashin. Among her cousins are Dianna and Mark Tahbo, Dorothy Ami, and Larson Goldtooth. Debbie was exposed to pottery making for much of her life but only began to really learn the art herself around 2010 [...] Read More
Annie Antone
(1955-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Tohono O’odham Annie Antone learned how to weave baskets from her mother, and sold her first basket at the age of nineteen for $10. She gave the money to her mother. In making her baskets, Annie uses only plant materials harvested from her homeland, the Sonoran Desert. These include yucca, devil's claw, [...] Read MoreTeddy Draper, Jr.
(1949-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Although Teddy is best known for his works in pastels, in recent years Teddy has begun making beautiful jewelry. He creates finely crafted sterling silver jewelry inset with precious gems and high-quality turquoise from world renowned domestic mines such as Carico Lake, Castle Dome, Cerrillos, Bisbee and Morenci. His jewelry, like … Read More
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Tim Blueflint Ramel
(?- Present) Tribal Affiliation: Bad River Chippewa/Comanche Tim Blueflint is the owner and creative talent behind Shades of Rez Studio, which he founded in 2005. Although well-known and respected for the incredible flute he makes, Tim is now offering a new line of jewelry that reflects the same exquisite craftsmanship, utilizing the finest materials available. [...] Read More
Carolyn Bernard Young
(1951-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Choctaw Carolyn Bernard Young was not a born a potter. She did not appear on earth throwing clay and carving animal figures and totems. Her life and her art were formed by her experiences. I am an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and a registered Choctaw artist. My work … Read More
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Ken Romero
(1956-Present) Pueblos: Taos and Laguna Pueblos Ken is a full-time contemporary jewelry artist, working in the arts for over two decades. His work has been described as being 'Contemporary in Traditional Native Design.' He has an Associate of Fine Arts Degree from the Institute of American Indian Arts and a BA from the California College [...] Read More
Marlin Honhongva
(1977-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Hopi Marlin Honhongva was born into the Badger and Butterfly Clan of Hopi. He began his art career as a carver of wonderful katsina and has been in exhibitions since 2004. His very talented award winning family influenced his interest in carving: He was born to Sherian Honhongva (jeweler) and Orrin [...] Read MoreJan Loco
(1949- Present) Tribal Affiliation: Warm Springs Apache Jan Loco began making jewelry in 1988. She developed a method of making jewelry without the use of power tools. After cutting the silver (with heavy-duty poultry scissors or something similar) to the desired shape, she hammers it with a specially selected rock until she achieves the texture … Read More
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Margie Naranjo
(1917 - 2006) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Margie Naranjo, Santa Clara Pueblo, was a member of the Naranjo family. Her mother, Santanita Suazo, was her inspiration. Santanita taught her daughter the fundamentals of pottery making. Her sisters, Mae Tapia-Suazo, Shirley Duran, and (Candelaria) Candy Suazo also make pottery. Read More
Althea Cajero
(1964-Present) Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo and Kewa Pueblo Althea Cajero designs and makes elegant jewelry which can be worn as every day pieces as well as for special occasions. In 2013, Althea Cajero and her husband Joe Cajero were named Living Treasures by the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, a great honor for any artist, [...] Read More
Alvin Yellowhorse
(1968-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo "As a young boy, I remember helping my father set up a table of jewelry along the roadside of old Route 66 located near the Arizona and New Mexico borders in Lupton, Arizona. It was in these earlier days of my life that I was inspired by my father to undertake [...] Read MoreNarren Bowannie
(1965-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Narren lives at Zuni Pueblo. He studied power conservation at University of New Mexico. Narren is a man of many talents. He makes beautiful jewelry in the Zuni tradition; he also carves figures in a variety of materials, including marble and pipestone. He paints traditional scenes of Zuni life. Read More
Annie Quam Gasper
(1926-2001) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Annie Quam Gasper and Ellen Quandelacy were sisters from Zuni Pueblo. Both were born in the 1920s and died in the early 2000s. They were known to collaborate on jewelry, but they specialized in very distinct styles. Annie preferred to work on channel inlay in a hummingbird design she created. Ellen [...] Read MoreNila Cook Johnson
(?-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Nila (pronounced neela) Cook Johnson (formerly Nila Cook) is an experienced silversmith who specializes in old style cluster bracelets. She is known for the excellent quality of her work. She [...] Read More
Ben Nighthorse Campbell
(1933-Present)Tribal Affiliation: Northern Cheyenne “My father taught me how to use a few tools, but design cannot be taught.”– Ben Nighthorse Northern Cheyenne artist, Ben Nighthorse Campbell has led a multi-faceted life. Not only is he considered one of the most successful and innovative artists of today, he also served as the first Native American [...] Read More
Piki Wadsworth
(1980-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Hopi “I am very proud and it is very important to me that I carry on the tradition of bead making. Since I was a little girl I have loved stones. Now that I am older working with stones, taking each piece of raw rough Turquoise and making in to a beautiful [...] Read MoreAfonso Penketewa
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo There is no information about this artist available. Research is on going. Read More
Jordan Roller
(1987- Present) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Jordan is a 7th generation potter. He learned from watching his grandmother, Toni Roller, and his father, Jeff Roller, who are award winning potters. His first efforts at making pottery were simple turtles. As Jordan grew, so did his skills at creating beautiful pottery. He is now an award [...] Read MoreEusebia Shije
(1936 - Present) Pueblo: Zia Pueblo Eusebia Toribio Shije, Zia Pueblo has been creating magnificent works of art in pottery for over 60 years. Eusebia is the sister of Teresita Galvin and mother-in-law of Adrienne Shije. She has won numerous awards as a variety of juried competitions. She won the award for Best Traditional Zia [...] Read More
Roger Deale, Jr.
(1968-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Roger’s artistic style is a form of visual storytelling in the tradition of his Navajo ancestors. Often he will incorporate Navajo symbolism and cultural icons in his paintings. Although he has no formal training, Roger has spent years learning mediums and various techniques, and has developed a style that is uniquely [...] Read More
Aaron Toadlena
(1958-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Known primarily for his uniquely styled traditional bracelets, Aaron is a very accomplished silversmith and jewelry artist who can create almost anything. He enjoys making traditional jewelry the old-fashioned way - doing everything by hand. Keeping in mind the rich cultural influences of his people, Aaron brings to life the true [...] Read More
Calvin Martinez
(1960-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo "I look to the old silversmiths and to my culture. There would not be a Calvin Martinez silversmith without the Navajo tradition to guide me. I am grateful that people still like the old silver pieces. I thank God for awarding me with these gifted hands." Calvin Martinez creates his [...] Read MoreHelen Gachupin
(1931-1999) Pueblo: Zia Pueblo Helen most likely grew up watching her famous grandmother, Rosalie Medina Toribio, making pottery, but she really learned the basics of the traditional art from her mother. Through her life Helen made traditional polychrome jars, storage ollas and bowls. She was known for her traditional pottery and use of traditional designs. [...] Read MoreJackie Singer
(1939- Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Jackie grew up on Navajo land in Arizona. There she learned the art of silversmithing from her brothers, William, Charlie, and Tommy Singer. She specializes in set stones. Her jewelry is carried in galleries across the Southwest. Read More
Russell Sanchez
Russell Sanchez has been called one of the most talented, innovative, and respected pottery and clay artists of today, He is often considered a master of combining different techniques to create unique and wonderful pieces of art. His pieces often include deep carvings, high polish, fine etchings, painting, and inset stones or heishi. One thing [...] Read MoreAncita Yazzie
(1912- ?) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Ancita Yazzie was born of the Bitter Water Clan around the Pine Springs Area. She wove with great pride and with careful attention to every detail. All of her rugs are reputed to have a very tight weave, especially her large ones. She believed that the feelings she put into [...] Read MoreMarie Begay
(1942- Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo She is the grand-niece of Ancita Yazzie. During the summer months she and her husband move to Pine Springs for his job. But they live with her mother’s people at Ganado during the winter months, as is the custom for women and their husbands to live with the wife’s mother. [...] Read MorePaqua Naha Old Frog Woman
(Circa 1890- 1955) Tribal Affiliation: Hopi Paqua Naha is more commonly known as the “Old Frog Woman.” She was the first to sign her pottery with her frog hallmark, as Paqua means frog in Hopi. As the matriarch of the famed Naha/Navasie family of potters (many of whom have adopted some variation of her frog [...] Read More
Randy Hoskie
(?-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Randy Hoskie is a talented young silversmith who enjoys doing exceptional overlay work. He takes great care with the detail of his designs using the patterns of Navajo weaving to enhance his jewelry. Randy likes to combine two metals with contrasting colors to create stunning works of wearable art. He often [...] Read MoreBarbara and Joseph Cerno
(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 [...] Read More
Abraham Begay
(1953-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Abraham Begay, born in Ganado, Arizona, has been active in making traditional and contemporary jewelry since 1976. He grew up attending reservation boarding schools, after which he attend Phoenix College. Abraham grew up in a family of silversmiths and credits his family with sparking his interests to learn silversmithing. He is [...] Read More
Jolene Bird
(1963-Present) Pueblo: Santo Domingo Kewa Pueblo Jolene Bird is an accomplished artist who learned her craft from her grandfather. She specializes creating inlaid mosaic works of art. After studying at the prestigious Poeh Institute in Santa Fe, Jolene continues to refine her craft by selecting only the finest raw materials and then cutting, carving and [...] Read More
Chase Kahwinhut Earles
(1976-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Caddo Born in Oklahoma, art has always been a part of Chase’s life. While in kindergarten, his art teacher asked him to draw something for the school. This simple request sparked a lifelong interest in visual art. From that day forward, he has been always drawing or painting. After high school, Chase [...] Read More
Nancy Youngblood
(1955-Present) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo The way I do it, is the way I was taught. I give it my all. The piece becomes a part of me and represents who I am." Nancy Youngblood is the granddaughter of Margaret Tafoya and daughter of Mela Youngblood. She is a master crafts person and certainly one [...] Read More
Jason Ebelacker
(1980-Present) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo When asked to name the potters in his family, Jason thought about it for a second, then replied "Everyone." He is the son of Richard Ebelacker, grandson of Virginia Ebelacker, and great-grandson of the legendary Margaret Tafoya. Jason's father, Richard Ebelacker, was an award-winning potter and Jason credits his [...] Read More
Tony Aguilar
(1919-2002) Pueblo: Santa Domingo Kewa Pueblo Tony Aguilar was born into a family of jewelers including his own father and his uncle, Vidal Aragon. He learned silversmithing from a Navajo jeweler while he attended the Santa Fe Indian School. As the president of his class at the Indian School, Tony entered the United States Army [...] Read More
Caroline Carpio
(1962-Present) Pueblo: Isleta Pueblo “Living in a dry environment, and as a reflection of what is important to my culture, most of my art work incorporates water depictions such as rain and cloud designs, cattails, and dragonflies. The style is simple, at times just a simple strand of turquoise that is inlaid into the pottery.” [...] Read More
Angie Yazzie
(1965-Present) Pueblo: Taos Pueblo Angie Yazzie is known for her egg-shell thin pieces with beautiful shapes, which are among the best micaceous pottery being made today. Micaceous pottery has a special glow due to the mica that naturally occurs in the Northern New Mexico clay. Mica helps hold liquids when clay vessels are used for [...] Read More
Myra T. Qualo
(1913-2008) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Myra spent her younger years in California where she attended Riverside Sherman Institute. She then later worked for Richard and Bernice Vanderwagon. Myra taught herself the art of jewlery making. She created each design and did all of the work on each piece she made. Myra began making beautiful jewelry with [...] Read MoreElle Jackson
(1963-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo In her early teens, Elle learned silversmithing from her older siblings. Her jewelry making is influenced by the antique/vintage Navajo jewelry her brothers and sisters handcrafted in the 1970's. Elle studied art and design at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts with an emphasis [...] Read MoreMaryann and Felix Chavez
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Felix and Mary Ann are Zuni who are husband and wife jewelers who often collaborate. Their hallmark consists of offset joined initials. They specialize in handcrafted petit point styles. Maryann Chavez does her beautiful cluster work by cutting up Sleeping Beauty turquoise stones she has picked for perfect color and size. [...] Read More
Andy Cadman
(1966-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Andy Cadman is the older brother of well-known silversmith Darrel Cadman and a half-brother of renowned smiths Gary and Sunshine Reeves. This group of artisans all learned much of their trade from David Reeves. The Cadman brothers and the Reeves brothers, therefore, share a common element of apprenticeship and exhibit [...] Read More
Melvin Francis
(?-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Melvin Francis is a very well known contemporary silversmith living in the Gallup area of Arizona. He began creating beautiful jewelry in the early 2000s. His style is typically simple yet elegant consisting of sterling silver and colorful stones. He does many kinds of jewelry including unique custom fabrication, overlay, and [...] Read More
Harrison Jim (Navajo)
(1970-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo “I make jewelry for a living, I am passionate about it and do it the old way.” My great grandpa made jewelry who dates back to Fort Sumner. His original name was Shin, which means dark in Navajo. The whites changed that to Navajo Jim, and that is where my last [...] Read More
Tommy Singer
(1940-2014) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo All of Tommy Singer’s work is very distinctive, and is coveted by collectors and enthusiasts alike. He worked for years with his family creating beautiful jewelry in silver and gold with traditional patterns and designs. Tommy was a silversmith for over 50 years When he was just seven years old, he [...] Read More
Gloria Gachupin
(1940-Present) Pueblo: Zia Pueblo Gloria Gachupin (Chinana) was active in the 1970s and beyond. She created traditional polychrome ollas, jars and bowls using her favorite designs of roadrunners, plants, rainbows, and clouds – the traditional designs of Zia. Gloria participated in the exhibition of "One Space: Three Visions", Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque New Mexico. There were [...] Read MoreL. Maestas
(Unknown) Pueblo: San Juan Ohkey Owingeh Pueblo Currently there is no information for this artist. Research is ongoing. Read More
Rose Chino
(1928-2000) Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo "Grinding the clay is the hardest part. It's stone really, and then breaking up the old shards for temper. It has to be right, or the clay collapses--too soft, or stiffens--too hard"—Rose Chino Garcia, Acoma potter Rose was one of the daughters of famed Acoma potter Marie Z. Chino who taught [...] Read More
April Haloo
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Zuni artist April Haloo is the daughter of Peter & Vivian Haloo. She carries on the family tradition of amazing Snake Eye jewelry. This family has been making these pieces for decades and has perfected the snake eye style. The term 'snake eyes' refers to the shape of the stones. [...] Read More
Rose Gonzales
(1900-1989) Pueblo: San Ildefonso Pueblo Rose Gonzales was one of the early innovators of deeply carved pottery at San Ildefonso Pueblo in the 1930's. She was originally from San Juan Pueblo and married Robert Gonzales in 1920. Her carved pottery was a cameo in appearance, as it is not deep and ends on the sharp [...] Read More
Michael Kirk
(1949-Present) Pueblo: Isleta Pueblo Michael Kirk was born in 1949, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, of Isleta Pueblo and Navajo decent. After graduating from Los Lunas High School, Michael enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1971. Upon returning to the States, he took graduate jewelry classes at [...] Read More
Noreen Simplicio
(1964-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Noreen Simplicio digs her clay from the traditional Zuni clay beds, processes the clay to a plastic form, coils, forms and polishes her work using traditional methods, and makes her own paint pigments that are fired on the ware. “I cherish the gift the other Earth gave me, I am [...] Read More
Ricky Laahty
(1962- Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Ricky Laahty is a well-known carver of whimsical frog fetishes made from interesting stone and shell, as well as several other animal figures. He is the son of Morris Laahty, a talented inlay Zuni jeweler, who died in 1987. Ricky's mother, Sadie Laahty, is a niece of Leeka Deyuse. Ricky [...] Read More
Dolores Lewis-Garcia
(1938-2019) Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo "The old techniques of my ancestors have motivated me even more so to become a part of this tradition. By doing so, I too try different techniques. My grandmother and those before her were strong in keeping the spirit and tradition alive.... It makes me feel good—a part of our ancestors—to [...] Read More
Anderson Jamie Peynetsa
(1997-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Anderson Jamie Peynetsa is the son of acclaimed potters Anderson Peynetsa and Avelia Peynetsa. Among his aunts are Priscilla Peynetsa and Agnes Peynetsa, also well-known Zuni potters. Jamie is an up and coming young potter who says his inspiration to make pottery comes from watching his father make pottery. Read MoreEllen Quandelacy
(1924-2002) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Known as both a fetish carver and a jeweler, Ellen Quandelacy learned to carve from her father, Johnny Quam. Her sister, Annie Gasper Quam, was a well-known jeweler. Ellen had four daughters (Albenita, Faye, Sandra and Georgia) and six sons (Andres, Avery, Barlow, Dickie, Wilmer, and Stewart), most of whom are [...] Read More
Karin Walkingstick
(?-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Cherokee Her passion for art began at an early age. Throughout her life she has explored many types of creative expression, but since her introduction in 2013 she has committed her time exclusively to creating works of pottery. Using techniques inspired by the tradition of her Cherokee ancestors, she honors [...] Read More
Franklin Peters
(1978-Present) Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo Franklin Peters was born into the Sky Clan (Huwaka) and raised in the Acoma Pueblo. He is an accomplished potter and is well known for his traditional fine line designs, as well as his parrot designs. He was taught by his mother, Ella Peters, who he counts as his greatest inspiration. [...] Read More
Michelle Williams
(?-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Michelle learned to make pottery from her grandmother, Rose Williams, who is considered the matriarch of modern Navajo potters, and from her mother Alice Cling, also a very well-known potter. Michelle has been making fine pottery since the early 1990′s. Her pieces are entirely hand-made, from digging and preparing [...] Read More
Sara Fina Tafoya
(Circa 1863-1950) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Perhaps the most influential potter among the Pueblo in the early 1900s was Sara Fina Tafoya--Autumn Leaf. She stands at the crown of a family tree representing one of the most outstanding families in Santa Clara pottery. Her descendants include such renowned potters as Margaret Tafoya, [...] Read More
Carlos Sunrise Dunlap, Jr.
(1958-1981) Pueblo: San Ildefonso Pueblo Carlos Dunlap, Jr. was the son of Carmelita Dunlap, a niece of Maria Martinez and a very noted potter from San Ildefonso. Carlos soaring career was tragically cut short by his death in 1981 from an auto accident. He began is pottery career at a very early age painting [...] Read More
Julie Gutierrez
(1965-Present) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Inspired by her mother, Victoria Gutierrez, Julie began experimenting with pottery at the age of 12. Her mother and her aunts taught her all the fundamentals of working with natural clays and pigments so that she could continue the long lived tradition of working with clay. Julie specializes in traditional [...] Read More
Lula Lameman
(?-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo No information is available for this artist at present. Research is ongoing. Read MoreTomasita Montoya
(1899-1978) Pueblo: San Juan Ohkey Owingeh Pueblo Tomasita Montoya was one of the original seven potters in the 1930's "San Juan Revival." In 1930 Regina Cata organized a pottery study group at San Juan Pueblo with the intent of revitalizing pottery production. The group studied ancient potsherds of wares made at San Juan in earlier [...] Read More
Clint Cross
(1965 - Present) Tribal Affiliation: Sokoki Band of the Abenaki Nation of the Missisquoi “That’s where the fun is - digging in the ground.” A member of the Sokoki Band of the Missiquoi Abenaki Nation, sometimes referred to as the North Eastern Abenaki, Clint Cross has a mining and gem cutting background. Clint has been prospecting and mining [...] Read MoreJonas Hustito
(1984-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Jonas is the son of Clive and Karen Bobelu Hustito and is a member of the Hustito-Lowsayatee family of Zuni fetish carvers. Jonas prefers carving smaller items, as he is quite busy taking classes at UNM. Read More
Burt Awelagte
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Burt Awelagte is a young and creative Zuni fetish carver who learned the art of carving from his extended family, including Gibbs Otole and Joseph Quam. Burt carves bears and big horn sheep, wolves among other animals from turquoise, wild horse marble, jet, serpentine, and denim lapis stone. . When he [...] Read More
Kee Yazzie, Jr.
(1969-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Hopi and Navajo Kee is Hopi and Navajo... he draws upon these two Southwest Native American cultures to create his designs. Kee Yazzie, Jr. brings much life experience to his jewelry making, which in turn, gives his jewelry a special depth. Kee went to school in Provo, Utah where he studied [...] Read More
Jeff Roller
(1963-Present) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Jeff Roller, as a member of the sixth generation of potters in the Tafoya family from Santa Clara Pueblo, is known for his beautifully crafted and detailed lidded jars, as well as for his bronze sculptures. He learned to make pottery from his mother, Toni Roller, and from his [...] Read MoreElsie Black
No information is available for this artist. Research is ongoing. Read More
Talyn Kewanletzema
(2010-Present) Pueblo: San Ildefonzo Pueblo Talyn is the grandson of Erik Fender. This young man is learning to make pottery in the family tradition from some of the very best potters of our time. He is only five, but he has begun creating and painting his own style of pottery. Read More
Ian Fender
(1997-Present) Pueblo: San Ildefonzo Pueblo Ian is one of today’s emerging artists. His family is well known for their accomplishments and recognition in making beautiful pottery. His father is Erik Fender; his grandmother is Martha Appleleaf; and his great-grandmother is Carmelita Dunlap – all outstanding award winner at Indian Market as well as other competitions. [...] Read More
Brian Yatsattie
(1971- Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Brian comes from a family of jewelry artisans. His mother, Janta Yatsattie, was known for her petit-point jewelry. He began his artistic career as a painter. In 1989 Brian began carving because "it looked like fun." In 1992 he moved to San Felipe Pueblo and is now teaching others [...] Read MoreEnrike Leekya
(1987-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Enrike Leekya comes from one of the most cherished families of Zuni carvers. He has a very distinct style that is very detailed and often humorous. Enrike Leekya is the great-grandson of famous fetish carver Leekya Deyuse, who requested that all of his children take his first name as their surname. [...] Read More
Laurencita Herrera
(1912–1984) Pueblo: Cochiti Pueblo Laurencita R. Herrera, an active potter from the 1920′s to 1980, has been a long-time favorite pottery by collectors – when they can find an example of her work. She always produced excellent pottery during her productive years. She made not only singing mothers, but polychrome jars and bowls as well. [...] Read More
Helen Naha
(1922-1993) Tribal Affiliaiton: Hopi Most Hopi pottery is buff colored or a light yellow cream color. The local clay gathered at Hopi and used by the potters there typically fires to a light yellow cream of buff color. The Navasie family of potters have become highly collectable, not only due to their beautifully formed hand [...] Read More
Effie Calavaza
(1928-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Effie Calavaza is perhaps one of the most widely recognized Zuni artists. Her wonderful "snake" patterned jewelry is unmistakable, and much sought after by collectors. Effie Calavaza specializes in sand casting and incorporates large stones and snake designs, which are incorporated into almost every piece of jewelry she makes. Effie began [...] Read More
Samuel Manymules
(1963-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo “I build my pots first in my mind,” says Samuel Manymules. In little over one short decade, the pots he envisions have made him the quintessential 21st century Navajo potter and winner of numerous Native American Arts most prestigious awards. Born on the Navajo reservation of the Bitterwater Clan for the [...] Read More
Tim Edaakie
(1974-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Tim Edaakie is the grandson of the late Dennis Edaakie and still living grandmother Nancy Edaakie. He is a member of the frog clan and a lifelong Zuni resident. Tim Edaakie and Bobby Silas specialize in recreating ancestral, prehistoric and historic Zuni Pottery. They collaborate in using the traditional methods from [...] Read More
Mary and Rudy Coriz
(?-Present) Pueblo: Santa Domingo Tewa Pueblo Mary and Rudy Coriz are a husband and wife jewelry team from Santo Domingo Pueblo. They are famous for their inlaid earrings and necklaces. Their jewelry features a wide variety of stones and shells arranged in interesting designs and color patterns. Theirs is a style that is easily identifiable [...] Read More
Rowena Romero Gibson
(?-Present ) Pueblo: Taos Pueblo Rowena Gibson is the daughter of award-winning potter, Edna Naranjo Romero. They quite often participate together in juried competitions, such Santa Fe Indian Market. Both mother and daughter’s micaceous pottery were exhibited at the 2015 Indian Market, and most recently at the 2017 Santa Fe Indian Market. Rowena learned [...] Read More
Virginia Lowden
(1936-Present) Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo Virginia Lowden began making pottery during the 1950s and has been an active potter ever since. She still produces beautiful polychrome ollas, jars, and bowls. She has participated in competitions at Santa Fe Indian Market and Eight Northern Pueblos Arts and Crafts Shows for several years, including the 2015 Santa Fe [...] Read More
Alice Cling
(1946 -Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Born at Cow Springs on the Navajo reservation, Alice Cling adheres to the traditional pottery making methods shared by several of the pueblos. She digs local clay, treats it with water to remove impurities, and then mixes it with a tempering agent to make it strong. For the Navajo, tempering [...] Read More
Bobby Silas
(1987-Present) Pueblo: Hopi Pueblo Tim Edaakie and Bobby Silas specialize in recreating ancestral, prehistoric and historic Zuni Pottery. They collaborate in using the traditional methods from shape, form and design. Bobby and Tim begin by studying the ancestral sherds they find on hikes around the pueblo. They gather natural materials to use in making their [...] Read More
Lester Abeyta
(1977-Present) Pueblo: Santo Domingo-Kewa Pueblo Lester Abeyta lives in Kewa Pueblo—formerly known as Santo Domingo Pueblo-- in northern New Mexico. His first teachers of the art of jewelry making were his father, Richard Abeyta, and his mother, Delia Abeyta, both gifted artists themselves. His father learned from his father, Mariano Abeyta, in a tradition that [...] Read More
Lisa Rutherford
(?-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Cherokee Lisa Rutherford (Cherokee Nation) lives on a cattle ranch in Cherokee County, and worked in Cherokee Nation’s tribal administration office for many years before becoming a full-time artist. She is a living history interpreter and has demonstrated cultural arts of the 18th century at many venues, including Colonial Williamsburg, VA, the [...] Read MoreErma Kalestewa Homer
(1958-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Erma Kalestewa Homer is the daughter of Zuni potter Juanita Kalestewa and the granddaughter of Nellie Bica, both master potters at Zuni. Although she is an excellent potter of traditional shapes and forms, Erma is most well known for her effigy Zuni owls-- the Zuni version of a storyteller. In the [...] Read More
Marianne Navasie
(1951-2007) Tribal Affiliation: Hopi Marianne Navasie was the daughter of famed Hopi Potter, Joy Navasie and the granddaughter of world renowned Paqua Naha, the original Frog Woman. She was married to Harrison Jim, who painted and created pottery with Marianne featuring carved reliefs and Hopi traditional designs. Her sister, Grace Navasie, is also a promenent [...] Read More
Stacey Carr
(1969- Present) Pueblo: Laguna Pueblo Stacey attended The University of New Mexico, majoring in biology. He still lives in the Laguna area. He learned the art of pottery making from his ex-wife and her parents. It was from them he learned to find the clay which would make good pottery. He learned how to soak, [...] Read More
Robert Vigil
(1965-Present) Pueblo: Nambe Pueblo Robert Vigil is one of those rare individuals who walks in both worlds – he says he is 50% Nambe and 50% non-pueblo. H e attended high school in Texas where he first learned to make pottery with clay coils. When he returned to the pueblo, he continued learning from award [...] Read More
Carmel Lewis
(1947-2019) Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo Carmel Lewis is one of the daughters of the late world renowned, Lucy M. Lewis. Lucy Lewis had seven daughters and two sons, and Carmel was the youngest. Some collectors know her by her married name, Carmel Lewis Haskaya. Her mother was Carmel’s biggest inspiration for learning the ancient traditional methods [...] Read More
Dee Johnson Setalla
(1963- Present) Pueblo: Hopi Pueblo "I am a member of the Hopi Tribe. I was born and raised in Snowbird Canyon, Arizona. Since I am part of the Bear Clan (Mother - Bear Clan) I sign my pottery with a Bear Claw. I first started making pottery around the age of 6 years old. [...] Read More
Daryl Shack
(1973-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo "I am Daryl Shack, Sr. and my wife, Shelley and I have two wonderful children, Darral Hope and Daryl, Jr. Our home is located on the site of the former Zuni village, Halona wa (which means (Red Ant Hill.) My family is heavily involved with the Ant Medicine Fraternity and my upbringing [...] Read More
Toni Roller
(1935-Present) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo "I learned by watching and helping my mother and now I am the oldest working Margaret Tafoya family potter. I have sold my art since 1968." So begins Toni Roller’s account of her life in pottery. As the daughter of Margaret Tafoya and the granddaughter of Sara Fina Tafoya, pottery [...] Read More
Margaret Tafoya
(1904 –2001) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Maria Margarita "Margaret" Tafoya was her given name, but her Tewa name was “Corn Blossom”. Margaret Tafoya, the matriarch of Santa Clara Pueblo potters, learned the art of making pottery from her parents Sara Fina Tafoya (1863–1949) and Jose Geronimo Tafoya (1863–1955). Sara Fina was considered the leading potter [...] Read More
Robert Michael Weahkee
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Robert Weahkee is the great grandson of Teddy Weahkee. Robert Weahkee takes great pride in his Zuni carving heritage and began carving professionally when he was about 15 years old. He started his career by carving old style, Zuni alter dolls. As the name suggests, alter dolls have religious meaning to [...] Read More
Gerald Cassidy
(1879 - 1934) Gerald Ira Diamond Cassidy was born in Covington, Kentucky, he had a successful dual career as both a painter and print maker of Southwest Pueblo Indians. He grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and his early art talent allowed him to be accepted for study with Frank Duveneck at the Cincinnati Art Academy. [...] Read More
Karl Hoffman
(?-Present) Karl W. Hoffman was born in Frankfort, Germany, and raised on Cape Cod, with a longing to go west. After breaking his neck horseback riding, Karl had to give up a promising career in professional skiing. While recuperating, he took up silver smithing as an apprentice to Bernard Kelly and then studied the construction [...] Read More
Amado Pena
(1943-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Yaqui Amado Maurilio Peña, Jr. was born in Laredo, Texas in 1943. He studied art and education at Texas A & I (now Texas A & M Kingsville), where he received his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees. Art is his first love, and he has been a successful professional artist for more [...] Read More
Hiram Peynetsa
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo There is no information currently available for this artist. Research is ongoing. Read More
Evalena Boone
(1969- Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Evalena Boone learned carving techniques from her mother Lena and other Weahkee family members. Evalena has a bold style in creating traditional Zuni fetishes. She uses a variety of stone for her appealing fetishes, including Picasso marble, dolomite, jasper, Murano glass and slag. Evalena is part of the well-known Teddey [...] Read More
Meagan Shetima
(1997-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Meagan Shetima is an up and coming carver at Zuni Pueblo. She is just in her second year of carving, having started carving while she was just sixteen. Meagan is the niece of Jeff Shetima, one of the preeminent carvers of today. She is inspired by watching and learning from her [...] Read More
Gabe Burns
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Gabe Burns creates beautiful carvings detailed with sgraffito etched designs reminiscent of Anasazi symbols and pictographs. Many of them contain offerings bundles, which are used to enhance the power of the fetish. Read More
Hudson Sandy
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Hudson Sandy is an upcoming Zuni fetish carver. He is known for his accurate, realistic style of carving. His fetishes are very detailed creatures that appear very lifelike. He enjoys carving a variety of birds and reptiles, including snakes and horned toads. Hudson is a part of the renowned Hustito family [...] Read MoreAl Runner Lasiloo
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Al "Runner" Lasiloo began carving fetishes in the 1980s. Although his carvings are generally not as detailed as some, Lasiloo uses this relative simplicity to emphasize the properties of the stone he has chosen to carve. Labradorite is his favorite stone to carve and the bear is his favorite animal. Lasiloo [...] Read More
Georgette Quam Lunasee
(Unknown-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Georgette Quam is an established Zuni Fetish carver of frogs, fox, bears and lady bugs made from apple coral, jet, dolomite, and turquoise. Georgette etches native designs in some of her carvings. Georgette is married to carver, Reynold Lunasee. She comes from a large family of Zuni Fetish carvers, including carving [...] Read MoreMichael Laweka
(Unknown-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Michael Laweka is a master Zuni fetish carver known for his highly detailed and elegant fetishes. He hand carves his fetish subjects in a variety of mediums, ranging from delightful antler bears to corn maidens in mother-of-pearl. Laweka uses a broad spectrum of premium quality materials including marble, alabaster and gemstones. [...] Read More
Kenny Chavez
(Unknown-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Kenny Chavez lives in the Pueblo with his wife, Anastasia and her family. Kenny is a very versatile carver, capable of carving virtually any animal or fish. He specializes in the use of sterling silver inlay in his fetishes. Read More
Dee Edaakie
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Dee Edaakie carves in a new and innovative style making expressive and whimsical fetishes of bears, mountain lions, and badgers among other creatures. Dee was influenced by his uncle, Gibbs Otole, and several other carvers at Zuni. He began his carving career by sanding rough fetishes in his uncle’s studio; prior [...] Read More
Russell Shack
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Russell Shack carves black marble and pipestone snakes, lizards, and owls using sgraffito style techniques to finish his appealing carvings. A carver for many years, Russell Shack is best known for his black marble and pipestone sgraffito fetishes. Read More
Freddie Leekya
(1965-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Freddie Leekya is part of the renowned Leekya Deyuse family of Zuni carvers. His father taught Freddie the skills of silver smithing and carving beginning at the age of fifteen. Although he began his career in silver-smithing, he prefers carving. Freddie's carvings are often created from Zuni Rock (travertine), which is [...] Read More
Leland Boone
(1969-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Leland Boone is part of the well-known Teddy Weahkee family of Zuni carvers. His mother, Lena Boone, and aunt, Dinah Gasper, are renowned Zuni fetish artists. Leland began his carving career as a buffer for his mother when he was a senior in high school. As he steadily improved and learned [...] Read More
Ed Lementino
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Ed Lementino carves a variety of fetishes. Although he carves individual animal and figural fetishes, he enjoys carving animal families...doubles, triples, quadruples and more...all bundled together with heishi and turquoise nuggets. Lementino uses a variety of stone for his traditional fetishes, including Zuni rock (travertine), dolomite, and chocolate serpentine. His carvings [...] Read More
Delvin Leekya
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Delvin Leekya is an established Zuni traditional carver from a very important family of carvers, the Leekya Deyuse family. Delvin's carvings of wolves, bears, badgers, turtles, and eagles attract many collectors due to their old style and traditional form and look. Delvin often uses Zuni stone or rock for his carvings, [...] Read More
Donovan Laiwakete
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Donovan Laiwakete is an accomplished Zuni fetish carver who learned the art of fetish carving from his brother Rodney Laiwakete. Donovan's bear and horse fetish carvings are creative and appealing due to their bold strength and his use of stone and creative heartlines and bundles. Read MoreJerome Nequatewa
(1979-Present) Pueblo: Hopi and Zuni Pueblo Jerome is half Hopi and half Zuni and lives at the Zuni Pueblo. His father, Harold Nequatewa, was Zuni and his mother was from the Hopi Pueblo. Jerome was brought up learning the culture and customs of both pueblos. He was taught to carve by his father, the late [...] Read MoreAlvin Baca
(1966-Present) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Hand thrown traditional pottery is Alvin Baca’s specialty. He learned to make beautiful melon shaped pottery from his mother, acclaimed potter Angela Baca and his grandmother, Severa Tafoya. He began making pottery while a teenager in the early 1980s. While his mother's melon pots are usually low and wide, Alvin's [...] Read More
Debbie Lujan
(1970-Present) Pueblo: Taos Pueblo Debbie developed an early interest in photography when her father gave her a Minolta camera when she was a teenager. She never dreamed that her hobby would turn into her life’s passion. Her primary subject is her home of Taos Pueblo. Her aim is to showcase the subtitles and contrasts of [...] Read MoreCarol Bell
(1928-2004) Carol Marshall Bell attended the University of Oklahoma where she majored in art education. She was married to Jack Marshall, Sr. from 1950 to 1976, and together they raised four children. Carol taught art at Putnam City West High School until 1977 when she married Bob Bell. They made their home on the Bell [...] Read More
Marcella Yepa
(1964-Present) Pueblo: Jemez Pueblo / Chickasaw Tribe Marcella Yepa, a member of the Sun Clan, began working with clay at the age of 19. She was inspired to learn the art of working with clay from her aunt, Alvina Yepa and her grandmother, Felipita Yepa. It was her grandmother who shared with her the fundamentals [...] Read More
Louise Rose Goodman
(1937–Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Louise Rose Goodman (LRG) is a Navajo folk artist and ceramicist and a member of the Biih Bitoodnii (Deer Spring) clan who learned pottery making from her sister-in-law, Lorena Bartlett. Her range of work includes standard jars and bowls produced in a wide variety of shapes including a significant amount of [...] Read More
Dominique Toya
(1971-Present) Pueblo: Jemez Pueblo “I am a traditional potter with contemporary designs and techniques. By traditional I mean we gather our own clay and temper and we clean them and mix them and fire outdoors with cedar wood.” Dominique Toya is a member of the Corn Clan and has been making pottery since the age [...] Read More
Myrtle Cata
(1953-Present) Pueblo: San Felipe/San Juan Ohkey Owingeh Pueblo In their book, Southwestern Pottery, Allen Hayes and John Blom state Myrtle Cata’s plain war “in some ways echoes earlier times at San Juan. It’s thin, graceful and undecorated, a result of the ever-escalating sophistication among the best potters from all the pueblos.” (126) Myrtle Cata is [...] Read More
Virginia Garcia
(1963-Present) Pueblo: Santa Clara/ San JuanOhkay Owingeh Pueblo Virginia Garcia was born in 1963 and has been making pottery since 1987. She specializes in water jars and bowls with bear paws, usually in red, but also in black and dark plum. She is self -taught artist that has won awards at Santa Fe Indian Market [...] Read More
Jane Baca
(1919-2011) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Jane Baca was born into a family of artists. She had two sisters, Legoria Tafoya and Pablita Velarde. Jane and Legoria were both potters, while Pablita became one of the first female Indian painters. As a pottery maker, she specialized in figurines. Her animal shaped figures won her and her [...] Read More
Starr Tafoya
(1951 – Present) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Starr (Pam) Tafoya is the daughter of Henry and Jane Baca. She has been making pottery for over 22 years. She has won first, second and third place ribbons at the Santa Fe Indian Market and The Eight Northern Pueblos Arts and Crafts Show. Starr often worked with [...] Read More
Denise Chavarria
(1959-Present) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Denise Chavarria, from the Pueblo of Santa Clara-Tewa, began working with clay at the age of sixteen. She was inspired by her mother, Stella Chavarria, and her grandmother, Teresita Naranjo, to continue the long lived family tradition of making pottery using ancient traditional methods. Stella taught Denise the fundamentals of [...] Read MorePatricia Honie
(1919-2001) Tribal Affiliation: Hopi Most potters on the Hopi Reservation are descendants of the Indians from the New Mexico Rio Grande Valley pueblos that moved to the Hopi Reservation during the Spanish conquest of the Southwest. They are referred to as Hopi-Tewa and they live mostly on First Mesa in a village given them by [...] Read More
Claudine Haloo
(Unknown-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Claudine Haloo learned about pottery making and fetish carving from her family and she began her pottery career in 1987. Her work features traditional hand coiled bowls and ollas, which are painted in colors of terra cotta, brown, and white. She incorporates geometric shapes, rosettes, and heart line deer in … Read More
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Margaret Trujillo
(Unknown) Pueblo: Taos Pueblo Margaret Trujillo created striking micaceous pottery using strong simple forms enhanced by fire clouds. It is the traditional pottery from Taos dating to the mid-1500s; it is what she was known for creating. She won several awards for her pottery. She and Henry Lujan were married at Taos in 1946 where [...] Read MoreRachel Medina
(1961-Present) Pueblo: Zia Pueblo/Santa Ana Rachel Medina claims dual relationship to Zia, her native pueblo, and Santa Ana Pueblo, where she has lived. She is a daughter of Sofia and Rafael Medina, granddaughter of Juanita Toribio Pino, and great-granddaughter of Rosalea Medina Toribio. Her brother is Marcellus Medina. Rachel’s mother, Sofia, taught her the techniques … Read More
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Martha Appleleaf
(1950-Present) Pueblo: San Ildefonzo Pueblo Martha Appleleaf is the daughter of Carmelita Dunlap (who was a niece of the famous Maria Martinez). Martha has been an active potter since 1970. She and her son, Erik Fender, are both featured in Rick Dillingham’s book Fourteen Families. She has taken 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons at [...] Read More
Erik Fender
(1970-Present) Pueblo: San Ildefonzo Pueblo Erik Than Tsideh Fender specializes in traditional and contemporary black ware pottery. He began working with clay at age ten after watching his grandmother, Carmelita Dunlap, and his mother, Martha Appleleaf, as they would hand coil and hand paint traditional black -on-black pottery. As he grew older, he started to [...] Read More
Myron Sarracino
(1967-Present) Pueblo: Laguna Pueblo Myron Sarracino, “Kaa Ooa Dinn Naa”, began hand coiling pottery in 1984 at the age of 17. He was inspired to continue the long tradition of hand coiling pottery by Verna Soloman (friend), Thelma and Sandy Sarracino (grandparents), and his friend and teacher, the famous, “Gladys Paquin”. She taught him all [...] Read MoreGloria Katsenih
(Unknown-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Gloria Katsenih is an up and coming artist at Zuni who makes hand coiled pots using traditional Zuni designs, such as the heartline deer, an open-mouthed deer with an arrow extending from the mouth to the inside of the deer near the heart. She also incorporates flowers, lizards, frogs and tadpoles [...] Read More
Evelyn Ortiz
(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 [...] Read More
Eleanor Pino Griego
( 1953-Present) Pueblo: Zia Pueblo Eleanor Pino-Griego is one of Zia Pueblo's best-known potters. She is of the Coyote/Sage Brush Clans and has been an active potter since the 1970s working with traditional polychrome jars, bowls and vases. Ascension Galvan Pino, her grandmother, and Laura Pino, her mother, taught her. She is also the sister [...] Read More
Pauline Navasie Setella
(1930-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Hopi Pauline Setella, a Hopi potter, was born in 1930 and has been making pottery for over 40 years. She was raised in a Hopi village called Mishongnovi, in Second Mesa, AZ. Pauline Setalla married into the Frog Woman/Feather Woman families, and was taught by two well-known potters, her mother-in- aw, Agnes [...] Read More
Kateri Quandelacy Sanchez
(1984-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Kateri Sanchez is an up and coming carver who is developing her own style. She is a member of the Quandelacy family of Zuni fetish carvers and is the daughter of Georgia Quandelacy. She began carving corn maidens at age nine with the help of her Aunt Faye. “My mom tried [...] Read MoreYellowbird – Jose Victor Aguilar
(1945-Present) Pueblo: San Ildefonzo Pueblo Yellowbird – Jose Victor Aguilar is the son of Rosalie Simbola and Joe Aguilar, both famous potters and artists from San Ildefonzo. Jose Victor chose to use the name “Yellowbird” when he signed his pottery in honor of his father, who also signed as Yellowbird. He has exhibited at the [...] Read MoreFreda Reed
(?- Present) Pueblo: Navajo Pueblo No information is available for this artist at this time. Research is ongoing. Read MoreWyatt Siwa Keens
(Unknown-Present) Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo No information about this artist is available at this time. Research is ongoing. Read More
Alfred Aguilar
(1933-Present) Pueblo: San Ildefonzo Pueblo Alfred Aguilar, potter and painter, is the son of Rosalie and José Aguilar, famous potters of the past. He is best known for his pottery buffalo figurines and pottery nacimientos sets, although he also makes the traditional black and red ware known to San Ildefonzo. After serving in the Air [...] Read More
Grace Navasie
(1953-Present) Pueblo: Hopi Pueblo Grace Navasie, the daughter of Joy Navasie (Frog Woman). The Navasie family is one of the premier Hopi pottery families, and has produced a legacy of potters stemming from the original Frog Woman - Paqua. Joy Navasie has been credited with the development of the white slip pottery style, and as [...] Read More
Pablita Velarde
(1918-2006) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Pablita Velarde, or Tse Tsan - Golden Dawn, was well known to Indian art collectors for several decades. She was born in 1918 at Santa Clara Pueblo and was active up until her death in January, 2006. She was the first full-time female student in Dorothy Dunn’s art class at the [...] Read MoreDamon Tso Jr
(?-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo No information about this artist is available at this time. Research is continuing. Read More
Josephine and Albert Vigil
(1927-Unknown) Pueblo: San Ildefonzo Pueblo Albert and Josephine Vigil are a husband and wife pottery team. Albert Vigil was born in 1927 and is the nephew of Maria Martinez and Clara Montoya. He is the son of painter Romando Vigil, one of the members of the San Ildefonso School of watercolor artists. Josephine Cordova Vigil [...] Read More
Alan E. Lasiloo
(1969-present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Born at Zuni Pueblo, Alan E. Lasiloo moved to Santa Fe to attend the Institute of American Indian Arts. He took pottery classes there, learning to work with the shiny micaceous clay of Northern New Mexico honing his skills in those class sessions. He continued his education at the American College [...] Read More
Sofia Pino Medina
(1932 - 2010) Pueblo: Zia Pueblo Sofia Pino Medina was trained by her grandmother-in-law, Trinidad Medina, who encouraged her to create in traditional styles and sizes; providing some of the largest Zia vessels in the second-half of the 20th century. Trinidad taught her the fundamentals of pottery making. Sofia began making pottery in 1963 and [...] Read More
Emma Lewis
(1931-2013) Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo Emma Lewis Mitchell was the daughter of perhaps the most famous of all the Acoma potters- Lucy M. Lewis of Acoma Pueblo. Emma, along with her sisters (Ann Lewis Hansen, Mary Lewis Garcia, Dolores Lewis Garcia and Carmel Lewis Haskaya), learned the art of pottery making from her mother. All daughters [...] Read More
Rafaelita Aguilar
(1936-Present) Pueblo: Santo Domingo Kewa Pueblo Born in 1936 and she learned the art of working with clay from her mother, Miguelita Aguila. Rafaelita has been creating pottery since 1953 and follows the traditional methods for creating pottery of the Aguilar family, which began in the early 1900’s. She harvests the clay on the Pueblo [...] Read More
Stella Chavarria
(1939-1999) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Stella Chavarria is the daughter of famed Santa Clara potter Teresita Naranjo, who passed away in 1999. Chavarria’s pottery is very much influenced by that of her mother, with the exception that she makes only black ware and works on a somewhat smaller scale than did Teresita Naranjo. Hand coiled [...] Read MoreRuth Paisano
(Unknown-Present) Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo Ruth B. Paisano is the daughter of Frances Pino Torivio, and has been active in making beautiful fine lined pottery from the 1980's forward. She has participated at Santa Fe's Indian Market beginning in 1985 and for several years hence. (excerpted from Southwest Pueblo Potter: 2000 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf. Read More
Cliff Roller
(1961-Present) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo “As one member of a large family of potters, I have strived to preserve the tradition of my ancestors, and feel that is reflected in my art.” —Cliff Roller As a sixth generation potter, Cliff Roller continues to make traditional Santa Clara carved black ware. Roller's work has been included [...] Read More
Faye Quandelacy
(1958-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Faye Quandelacy, a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, is known throughout the country and abroad for her small fetishes and fetish necklaces. Of special interest to Faye is the sculptural depiction of the three stages of womanhood: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Wise Elder. [...] Read More
Rita Manygoats
(1965- Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Rita Manygoats is the daughter of Betty Manygoats (who began the theme of the horned toad). Rita has become a most talented potter as well and hand builds and fires her pieces by the traditional Navajo methods. She was taught by her mother, but she has developed her own unique [...] Read More
Lena Boone
(1946- Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Lena Boone is the daughter of Edna Leki, who is believed to have been the first female fetish carver at Zuni, and the granddaughter of Teddy Weahkee. Weahkee became well known for a style of fetish carving that closely resembles historic Zuni forms. His descendants have carried on this tradition. [...] Read More
Betty Manygoats
(1945-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Navajo Betty's art is well known to exhibitors; she has been published; and she is an award winning pottery maker, yet in contrast she leads a simple life in the remote reaches of the Navajo reservation. She rarely attends art shows, she doesn't speak English, and the most important reason to her [...] Read More
Joy Navasie
(1919 - 2012) Tribal Affiliation: Hopi Joy Navasie was among the most famous of Hopi-Tewa potters. She learned the skill from her famous mother, Paqua Naha, the first Frog Woman. Joy was born in 1919 and recalls that she started making pottery when she was about 17 years old. During the 1950s, just a few [...] Read More
Merton and Linda Sisneros
(c. 1949- Present) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Merton and Linda Sisneros are a married couple, each with a long heritage of pottery in the family. Together they carry on family traditions, and include the family crest (a triangle to symbolize three generations of potting) on their pottery. The couple does a few of the traditional [...] Read MoreBernard Homer, Jr.
(?-Present) Pueblo: Zuni Pueblo Bernard Homer, Jr. is a well-known Zuni Pueblo Fetish carver whose fetishes are traditional in look and style, and yet are creative and powerful. He is the son of Bernard Homer Sr. (d.) and Alice Leekya (d.). Alice was the daughter of Leekya Deyuse (d.), one of the most famous Zuni fetish [...] Read More
Mary Lowden
(1941-present) Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo Mary Lowden creates beautiful polychrome jars, bowls, canteens, figures, and miniatures. She is the granddaughter-in-law of Lupe Chavez; sister-in-law of Virginia Lowden. Adapted from: Southern Pueblo Pottery: 2,000 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf. Read MoreArchie Blackowl
(1911-1992) Tribal Affiliation: Cheyenne Archie Blackowl was a Cheyenne painter from Oklahoma who played a pivotal role in mid-20th century Native American art. Born in Custer County of Oklahoma, Archie Blackowl ,whose Cheyenne name Mis Ta Moo To Va meant Flying Hawk in English, was a direct descendent of Roman Nose, the celebrated war chief [...] Read More
Virginia T. Romero
(1896 - c.1998) Pueblo: Taos Pueblo Nobody taught me how to make pottery. My mother made pots. I used to cook and do housework, but I saw her make them. I never thought I would touch the clay. Then one day my husband and my father went for clay. My father gave me a bag [...] Read More
Michael Atkinson
(1946 – Present) Michael Atkinson is a contemporary landscape artist with strong ties to the wide open spaces of Texas and the American southwest. From his Smoky Ridge studio in Texas, Atkinson seeks to “capture the emotion, be it subtle or exaggerated,” of an image. This pursuit of an image has been in evolution since [...] Read MoreMirac Creepingbear
(1947-1990) Tribal Affiliation: Kiowa “…In my work I try to show the strength and character of our people, how we live now. The feelings come from the heart and my work reflects my feelings of pride for my people. I feel that I am recording history, one person’s view about who we are, the positive [...] Read MoreRichard Rippel
(1945- Present) Tribal Affiliation: Seminole Richard C. Rippel served in the US Navy on a submarine until 1964. He was assistant art director at channel 4 in Jackson Florida through the late 1960s. He created several oil and acrylic paintings as well as pencil sketches. Read MoreRita Lewis
(1920-1991) Pueblo: Cochiti Pueblo Rita and Ivan Lewis both learned the art of pottery from their very famous mothers. Rita was the daughter of Ascencion Banada of Cochiti; Ivan was the son of Lucy Martin Lewis of Acoma. Although Ivan grew up around pottery, he did not become interested in creating pottery until [...] Read More
Teresita Naranjo
(1919-1999) Pueblo: Santa Clara Pueblo Teresita Tafoya Naranjo —Apple Blossom - Bay-Po-Vi has been acknowledged as one of the finest 20th century potters at Santa Clara Pueblo. She was born in 1919 and passed away on January 2, 1999 at her home at Santa Clara Pueblo. Her unexpected death was a loss to all pottery [...] Read MoreTony Garcia
(1962-2011) Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo Tony Garcia was born on February 2, 1962 and passed away on Friday, June 10, 2011. He was a resident of Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico. Garcia specialized in Bear Claw design hand carved contemporary pottery. “The four claws represent the four sacred directions. Reversed the claws also represent feathers. In [...] Read More
Lonnie Vigil
(1949-Present) Pueblo: Nambe Pueblo “There is a collaboration between the clay and myself – the clay tells me what direction to take… And I follow the techniques of my ancestors.” Lonnie Vigil is a micaceous potter. This style of pottery is distinguished by the sparkling mica flecks in the clay and by its traditional [...] Read More
Lucy Lewis
(c.1898-1992) Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo Lucy Martin Lewis is known for her black-on-white decorative ceramics made using traditional techniques. Lewis began making pottery at age eight, after studying with her great aunt. She spent nearly all her life atop the high mesa of Acoma never attending school or learning to speak English. She is credited with [...] Read More
Maria Martinez
(1887-1980) Pueblo: San Ildefonzo Pueblo Few artists can claim the worldwide honor and fame bestowed upon Maria Montoya Poveka Martinez - Pond Lily during her lifetime. This modest, traditional, Pueblo woman received honorary degrees from major universities, countless medals and citations from governments and institutions, and special invitations to the White House from four different [...] Read More
Marie Z. Chino
(1907–1982) Pueblo: Acoma Pueblo Marie Zieu Chino was a Native American potter from Acoma Pueblo, and recognized as one of the three most important Acoma potters during the 1950s. The inspirations for many designs used on her pottery were found on old potsherds gathered to use for temper which led to the revival of ancient [...] Read More
Michael Aguilar
(1978-Present) Pueblo: San Ildefonzo Pueblo Michael Aguilar is a very talented award winning artist who quite often works with his father, Alfred Aguilar, to create beautiful paintings and pottery. He has exhibited and won awards at several competitions, including Santa Fe Indian Market and the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Arts and Crafts Show. Currently, Aguilar [...] Read More