Tapia, Belen

Belen Tapia lived at Santa Clara Pueblo from 1914 to 1999. She was the daughter of Thomas Tafoya and Maria Atencio but is better known as a niece of Sara Fina Tafoya and cousin of Margaret Tafoya and Christina Naranjo.

Belen was one of the innovators of polychrome redware. Her second husband, Ernest Tapia, traveled to hidden corners of the Pajarito Plateau and gathered the blue-grey, umber tan, salmon orange and white clays that he ground very fine to make the paints they both used to decorate her pieces.

Belen mostly made bowls, jars, wedding vases, plates and engagement baskets. Her favorite designs to paint were kiva steps, feathers, avanyus (the mythic Tewa water serpent) and terraced clouds.

Some exhibits which featured Belen’s work

• Breaking the Surface: Carved Pottery Techniques and Designs. Heard Museum. 2004
• Recent Acquisitions from the Herman and Claire Bloom Collection. Heard Museum, 1997

Some Awards earned by Belen

• 1987 Gallup InterTribal Ceremonial. Class V – Pottery, Wedding Vase, First Place
• 1986 Santa Fe Indian Market. Class II – Pottery, Div. E – Traditional pottery, painted designs on burnished black or red surface, Cat. 1104 – Wedding vases, Third Place
• 1984 Santa Fe Indian Market. Class II – Pottery, Div. C – Traditional pottery, incised, Cat. 1007 – Plates, Third Place
• 1980 Santa Fe Indian Market. Class II – Pottery, Div. E – Traditional pottery, painted designs on burnished black or red surface, Best of Division, First Place
• 1979 Santa Fe Indian Market. Class II – Pottery, Div. C – Black carved plate, Second Place
  – Polychrome plate, Second Place
• 1970 Ninth Scottsdale National Indian Arts Exhibition. Section B – Crafts, Class VIII – Pottery, Div. B – Adaptations, Honorable Mention
• 1969 Eighth Scottsdale National Indian Arts Exhibition. Sec. B – Crafts, Class VII – Pottery, Sec. 2, Honorable Mention