Lena Garcia (1924-?)

Santa Ana Pueblo, being located close to Bernalillo, New Mexico, found that the pueblo was off the popular tourist track so there was little incentive to make pottery to sell.  Potters at Santa Ana Pueblo apparently did not significantly benefit from the influx of tourists with the arrival of train transportation to New Mexico in 1880.  Their village was quite removed from the train station and too far north of Albuquerque. It was not until the World War II era that a few potters from there started selling pottery at Coronado State Monument near Albuquerque.  Even this did not last long.  By the mid-1970s, there was only one active potter at Santa Ana and she was Eudora Montoya.

Eudora Montoya singly revived pottery production at Santa Ana Pueblo in the 1970s by teaching classes to a group of 18 women.  This revival spurred interest in Santa Ana contemporary pottery, however, that did not last long because most of the new potters did not continue production.  Once again, pottery from Santa Ana faded into history.

Lena Garcia was one of Eudora Montoya’s students in the 1970s.  She continued making pottery until 1996.  Her niece, Diane Menchego, is currently an active potter, one of only two remaining.