Peynetsa, Avelia

Avelia Peynetsa was born into Zuni Pueblo in 1964. She learned how to make pottery through attending Jennie Laate‘s ceramics classes at Zuni High School.

Avelia’s great-grandmother was Catalina Zunie, the woman who first talked Daisy Hooee into establishing and teaching a ceramics curriculum at Zuni High School in the 1960s. Before Daisy would do it, though, she required Catalina to teach her everything she knew about Zuni designs and making Zuni pottery. Then Daisy became a consummate Zuni potter. When Daisy retired, Jennie Laate took over teaching the classes.

After she finished high school, Avelia married Anderson Peynetsa and while they sometimes collaborated, sometimes they worked alone. They became award-winning artists, together and alone.

They had two children: Anderson Jamie Peynetsa and Ashley Peynetsa. Jamie learned how to make and decorate pottery as he was growing up and through taking ceramics classes at Zuni High. He was an award-winning artist before he finished high school. Avelia now makes some of the pottery that Jamie paints.