Micaceous
Pottery
November 14-17, 1994
Micaceous pottery was the connecting theme
for several Indian Arts Research Center activities supported by the IAF in 1994-1995,
including a Micaceous Pottery Masters' Convocation, a Micaceous Pottery Market, and a
separately sponsored book-in-progress. This sparkling golden or black pottery, made from
the mica-rich clay of northern New Mexico, has traditionally been used by Pueblo, Navajo,
and Apache people for cooking and storage. It is currently making the transition to a
highly collectible form of art.
A weeklong Micaceous Pottery Masters' Convocation held at the School in November 1994
brought together ten outstanding potters working in this 500-year-old tradition. Modeled
on the School's highly acclaimed Advanced Seminar Program, the Convocation gave the
potters an opportunity to explore one another's work, share ideas, and collectively to
take their work to the next stage. The Convocation schedule included three days of
discussions in the main vault of the IARC and visits to the potters' workshops in Santa
Fe, Nambe, Picuris, La Madera, Taos, and Dulce. Navajo potter Christine McHorse spoke for
the group when she said, "Most of us are self-taught and solitary.
[The Convocation] gave us an opportunity to become acquainted with each
other's pottery and
techniques."
The first-ever Micaceous Pottery Market, held at the
Inn at Loretto in Santa Fe in June 1995, was a direct outgrowth of the Convocation.
Fifty-eight potters exhibited their work
and demonstrated their styles and tools for more than 750 visitors, many
of whom were exposed for the first time to the rich heritage and aesthetic beauty
of micaceous wares as
works of art.
With the help of the Indian Arts Fund, the IARC commissioned
twenty works of pottery from the ten Master Potters for display and discussion
at the Convocation and acquired ten
additional pieces at the Market. The IAF-sponsored activities have provided
significant information for a book on micaceous pottery by Duane
Anderson. The book which is titled All
That Glitters: The Emergence of Native American Micaceous Art Pottery in Northern New Mexico
traces the history of this traditional art form, surveys its presence
in collections worldwide, and describes the Convocation and Market.
Available from SAR Press.
