( 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 of Ruby Panana.

(1956-Present)
Pueblo: Zia Pueblo

Elizabeth Medina, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Toya, could possibly be listed as a potter from Jemez Pueblo, because that is where she was born and raised.  She married Marcellus Medina of Zia Pueblo in 1978, and moved to Zia Pueblo.  When she moved to her husband’s pueblo, she abandoned her previous style of Jemez pottery, and received permission from Zia Elders to make pottery in the Zia style.  Her new mother-in-law, Sofia Medina, is credited with teaching her the proper processes of making Zia pottery.   Because she has been at Zia Pueblo and has made pottery in the Zia style most of her adult life, she is referenced as a Zia potter. Born in a family of Zia potters in 1954, Marcellus is a self-taught painter and these days, Elizabeth often makes the pot while Marcellus paints the design.

Elizabeth Medina is particularly known for her polychrome ollas and jars, featuring cream-colored and tan slips that her mother-in-law also used, as well as rose-red and orange slips. Her favorite designs include roadrunners, robins, berry bushes, flowers, rain clouds, rainbows, with fine line hatching. She also makes lidded jars, some with bear or turtle effigy lids. Occasionally she produces plain pots for her husband Marcellus to paint with designs of Zia dancers.  She and Marcellus dig up their own clay. Elizabeth then cleans, mixes, coils, shapes, fires, and paints her pottery the traditional way, with natural colors. Elizabeth signs her pottery as: Elizabeth Medina, Zia.

Elizabeth Medina, and her husband Marcellus, are noted in numerous publications and have awards in Santa Fe Indian Market (2019) for several years, as well as other exhibits and shows.

(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 Pottery in 1980 and 1981 at the Santa Fe Indian Market, the Indian Arts Fund Award for Overall Excellence in 1984, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards for a number of years at the Santa Fe Indian Market. Her pottery is of the highest quality and is always beautiful.

(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 few families who consistently made traditional pottery at Zia Pueblo – Gachupin, Pino, Medina, and Toribio are the best recognized names. Gloria Gachupin and her family still continue with the strong tradition of making traditional pottery.

Adapted from Gregory Schaaf’s Southern Pueblo Pottery: 2,000 Artist Biographies and Southwestern Pottery Anasazi to Zuni by Hayes and Blom.

(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. Her favorite designs seem to have been roadrunners, yucca plants, rainbows and birds.

Helen and her sister, Gloria Gachupin Chinana, were among the participants in the 1979 “One Space/Three Dimensions” exhibit at the Albuquerque Museum. Although not a prolific potter, her pieces can be found in the collections at the Peabody Museum at Harvard University in Boston, the Maxwell Museum in Albuquerque and the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, and the Heard Museum in Phoenix.

Helen never married before she passed away, and had no children to carry on her pottery making tradition.

(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 has become highly respected for her finely made large traditional Zia ollas. She also is well known for her polychrome jars, and also makes dough bowls and chili bowls. The beautiful designs on her pottery usually include some of her favorite things: roadrunners, rainbows, clouds, and kiva steps.

Sofia’s grandmother-in-law encouraged her to continue the family tradition of hand coiling pottery and to pass this tradition on to her daughters and grandchildren. Sofia and her daughter, Lois, often work together creating some of today’s finest Zia pottery. They have won numerous awards at the Santa Fe Indian Market, Eight Northern Arts and Crafts Show. Sofia Medina’s work can be found in the Peabody Museum at Harvard University and the Heard Museum in Phoenix, as well as in several private collections.