2023 Native Arts Speaker Series
Commemorating the hundred-year anniversary of the Indian Arts Research Center (IARC) collection, Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery is a multifaceted project that celebrates the deep history and intrinsic ties between Pueblo people and pottery. For centuries, Pueblo pottery has served not only as a utilitarian art form but also as a powerfully intangible element that sits at the very heart of Pueblo cultures. Whether it exists in the forefront of one person’s life or remains a gentle hum in the background of another, pottery and the clay from which it is born are reflected throughout the origins, histories, and homes of Pueblo families and communities.
The 2023 SAR Native Arts Speaker Series, Grounded in Clay Conversations, celebrates the Grounded in Clay project which includes a traveling exhibition, catalog, and documentary, by headlining stories that have surfaced as a result of this project and opening conversations about lesser-known narratives intersecting Pueblo people and pottery.
All events will be held at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture (MIAC) located at 710 Camino Lejo on Museum Hill. Speaker Series events are free with museum admission. Click on individual events to register.
Friday, March 31, 2023
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Earth, Wind, Fire, Water: Pueblo Pottery and the Environment
With Dr. Matthew Martinez (Ohkay Owingeh), Jason Garcia (Santa Clara), and Dr. Christina M. Castro (Taos, Jemez, Chicana)
Dr. Matthew Martinez (Ohkay Owingeh) sits down with Jason Garcia (Santa Clara) and Dr. Christina M. Castro (Taos, Jemez, Chicana) to discuss deeply seated connections between Pueblo pottery and the environment. Martinez, Garcia, and Castro examine the ways in which Pueblo values and beliefs pertaining to the environment are reflected in Pueblo pottery and explore the impact of climate change on Pueblo communities and practices. Watch this program on YouTube.
Photos from left to right: Dr. Matthew Martinez. Photo credit: W. Hank Beckerhoff. Jason Garcia, Dr. Christina M. Castro. Photos courtesy of the Vilcek Foundation.
Friday, April 14, 2023
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Conversation and Pottery Making: An Afternoon with Clarence Cruz and Samuel Villarreal Catanach
With Clarence Cruz (Ohkay Owingeh) and Samuel Villarreal Catanach (Pojoaque)
Join UNM professor Clarence Cruz (Ohkay Owingeh) and Pojoaque’s Tewa Language Department Director Samuel Villarreal Catanach (Pojoaque) for a pottery making demonstration and conversation about Pueblo pottery, language, and land, and the ways in which they intersect. Watch this program on YouTube.
Photos from left to right: Clarence Cruz, Samuel Villarreal Catanatch. Photos courtesy of the Vilcek Foundation.
Friday, April 21, 2023
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Untold Pueblo Stories: Hidden Histories and the Pueblo Diaspora
With Diego Medina (Tiwa-Piro-Manso), Albert Alvidrez (Ysleta del Sur), and Jerry Dunbar (Ysleta del Sur)
Diego Medina (Tiwa-Piro-Manso), Albert Alvidrez (Ysleta del Sur), and Jerry Dunbar (Ysleta del Sur) highlight underrepresented Pueblo stories in an exploration of the Ysleta del Sur and Tiwa-Piro-Manso histories. The panel discusses the effects of displacement on Pueblo communities and the larger Pueblo diaspora. Watch this program on YouTube.
Photos from left to right: Diego Medina, Albert Alvidrez, Jerry Dunbar. Photos courtesy of the Vilcek Foundation.
CANCELED!
Friday, May 12, 2023
1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
From Me to You: A Conversation with Pottery
With Tara Gatewood (Isleta, Diné)
Journalist, storyteller, and photographer, Tara Gatewood (Isleta, Diné), examines the ways in which we communicate with the world around us and the connections we make across time and space. Join Gatewood for a reading of her Grounded in Clay catalog entry, “From me to You,” and an exploration of Pueblo pottery through the lens of communication.
* Note: This event has been canceled due to an unexpected illness and will not be rescheduled at this time.