Richard Ebelacker, Santa Clara Pueblo Potter

As a young boy, Richard Ebelacker learned the art of creating exceptionally large Santa Clara redware and blackware pottery from his grandmother, Margaret Tafoya, and his mother, Virginia Ebelacker. This rich Tafoya family tradition was carried forward by Richard, his brother James, their children, and many cousins.

In 1971, at the age of twenty-five, Richard participated with his family in the landmark exhibit "Seven Families in Pueblo Pottery" at the University of New Mexico's Maxwell Museum of Anthropology. Over twenty years later, his impressive 19 ¾" x 22 ½" redware storage jar with bear paw imprints was preserved in the permanent collection of the Laboratory of Anthropology at the Museum of Indian Art and Culture in Santa Fe. This masterpiece was featured full-page in the revised edition of Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery by Rick Dillingham.

Richard Ebelacker (1946-2010) consistently displayed a refined, traditional style in his pottery, earning widespread admiration. Over the past three decades, he won over 35 ribbons, including Best of Class and Best of Division. Known for creating exceptionally large and magnificent pots, Richard's works continue to inspire awe and admiration.

TAGS: Margaret Tafoya, Sara Fina, Santa Clara Pueblo, Virginia Ebelacker, Southwest Indian Pottery, Jason Ebelacker, Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery, Rick Dillingham