Maestas, Alma

Alma Maestas was born into Jemez Pueblo in October, 1941. Her parents were Louis & Carrie R. Loretto. Alma learned the traditional way to make pottery from her mother.

In 1979 Alma was one of the participants in the “One Gallery: Three Visions” exhibition at the Albuquerque Art Museum. Three years later she was featured in National Geographic Magazine.

Alma has exhibited at Santa Fe Indian Market, Eight Northern Pueblos Arts & Crafts Show, the Heard Museum Indian Arts Fair & Market, New Mexico State Fair and the Gallup InterTribal Ceremonial, earning awards at all of them.

Alma is most known for her minimalist storytellers: their ears are covered, their noses are like little beaks, their mouths are sometimes open in an oval, their eyes are not outlined.

Alma’s work is in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of New Mexico, the Museum of International Folk Art, the Millicent Rogers Museum and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.