Archuleta, Anna

Anna Archuleta was born into Santa Clara Pueblo in 1953. She started making pottery around 1988. She and her sister, Anita Suazo, learned the traditional art from their mother, Belen Tapia, who was a first cousin of Margaret Tafoya.

Anna specializes in stone polished redware carved bowls, jars and plates with bear claws, feather patterns, lightning bolts and avanyu (the Tewa Water Serpent) designs. She gathers her clay from around Santa Clara Pueblo. She uses only natural slips and her polishing stones were passed down from her mother. Anna’s husband Fidel collaborates with her on the pottery: Anna does all the handcoiling and polishing while Fidel does the carving and the outdoor firing.