Show features Mata Ortiz pottery, jewelry - Green Valley News
Eighteen hours of pottery forming, painting and meeting Mata Ortiz master potters will happen Friday, Oct. 14, through Sunday, Oct. 16, at Quail Creek’s Kino Conference Center.
This open-to-the-public show follows a similar and very successful one in March that brought about 750 local visitors. The show is sponsored by Mata Ortiz pottery owner Victoria Martino as well as Ron and Vicki Sullivan of Quail Creek, who have been collecting pottery since December 1973.
Meet potter Hector Gallegos Jr., whose specialty is etched designs of his region and its creatures, along with Laura Bugarini Cota, who masters the technique of fine line painting. Also meet potters Lydia Quezada Celado de Talavera, the sister of renowned potter Juan Quezada, and her son Moroni Talavera Quezada and daughter Pabla Talavera Quezada.
Lydia taught her son and daughter the art of Mata Ortiz pottery when they were young. Together, the three make a variety of styles including new three-tone, black-on-black pottery.
“After we moved to New Mexico in 2002, we discovered Mata Ortiz pottery, met Juan Quezada and became close friends with Tito Carrillo. Tito brought pots from the village of Mata Ortiz and offered them for sale at galleries and Pueblo Indian markets. We became one of his best customers and best students,” Vicki Sullivan said.
Pottery forming, painting demonstrations and sales will be ongoing from 1 to 6 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Nahuatl Indian jewelry by artisan Agustin Torres Beltran from Taxco, Mexico, will be for sale with one-of-a-kind, handmade jewelry crafted from Mata Ortiz pottery shards and 92.5 percent silver.
In addition to the demonstrations, you can view DVD showings of “The Mata Ortiz Pottery Phenomenon” on Friday and Saturday, and “The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz” on Sunday. Weather permitting, pottery firings will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The village of Mata Ortiz in the high plains of northern Chihuahua, Mexico, has become the center for this world-class pottery. Each pot is unique.
The three-day event is free, open to the public and will be held at Quail Creek’s Kino Conference Center, 1490 E. Quail Range Loop. Cash, check and credit cards are accepted; cash or checks are preferred.
