Severa Gutierrez Tafoya, Santa Clara Pueblo Potter

Santa Clara Pueblo artist Severa Tafoya never received the notoriety that she should have. She was an extraordinary potter during the 1950s and 1960s, but pottery was not in the mainstream then as it is now. Had today's collectors been collecting pottery in the mid-1900s, she would have been high on their list. Very few collectors today know who she was and how fine her pottery is.

Severa Gutierrez Tafoya (1890-1973) was an active potter for almost 60 years.  Her legacy lives on.

Severa was a Gutierrez before her marriage. She was a sister to Van Gutierrez, of the Lela and Van Gutierrez couple. One of her daughters was Angela Baca, known for her melon jars. Some of her grandchildren are Tina, Greg and Virginia Garcia, Paul Speckled Rock and Ray Tafoya. 

Reference: Pueblo Indian Pottery: 750 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf.

TAGS: Santa Clara Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, Southwest Indian Pottery, Tina Garcia, Santa Clara Pueblo Potter, Lela and Van, Angela Baca, Virginia Garcia, Paul Speckled Rock, Ray Tafoya