Virginia Ebelacker, Santa Clara Pueblo Potter

Award winning Santa Clara Pueblo artist Virginia Ebelacker fashioned beautiful blackware pottery as her famous family members. Virginia Ebelacker was a daughter of Margaret (and Alcario) Tafoya, and granddaughter of Sara Fina and Geronimo Tafoya. Virginia's son was Richard Ebelacker (1946-2010) her grandson Jason Ebelacker.

She had been a consistent award winner at the New Mexico State Fair and Santa Fe Indian Market every year since 1969. She won many first prize awards and Best of Division awards on numerous occasions. She has been published in several magazines and her pottery is included in all major collections throughout the country. Virginia was certainly deserving of the accolades cast upon her as a truly outstanding artisan.

Virginia Ebelacker (1925 -2001) was not a prolific potter because she had a full-time job at Los Alamos National Labs. She worked in metallography (the study of the physical structure and components of metals, typically using microscopy) and shaped and refined metal and plastics as a profession. She was honored for her scientific contributions on both mediums. After returning home to Santa Clara Pueblo in the evenings, she worked on pottery briefly until bedtime. She was able to be more productive in pottery making only after her retirement from Los Alamos National Labs.

TAGS: Margaret Tafoya, Sara Fina, Santa Clara Pueblo, pottery making, Richard Ebelacker, Jason Ebelacker