Gonzales, Cavan

Cavan Gonzales was born in 1970 to Barbara Gonzales and Robert Gonzales of San Ildefonso Pueblo. He grew up watching and working with his mother as she made pottery. He excelled at it but rather than continue in her black-on-black-with-sgraffito style, he mostly makes polychrome pieces.

Cavan earned his first ribbon at the 1983 Santa Fe Indian Market. It was a Third Place ribbon in the children, ages 13-18 division. The next year he earned two First Place ribbons and a Second Place ribbon in the same division. When he was 16, Cavan designed the 75th Anniversary official emblem commemorating New Mexico’s statehood. At the age of 18 Cavan was awarded the Presidential Scholar Award from the White House in Washington DC.

Cavan kept earning ribbons every year through his participation in the Santa Fe Indian Market but he also earned a full, four-year scholarship and earned his BFA in ceramics, glaze calculations and intaglio at Alfred University.

Cavan’s work can be seen in places like the Smithsonian’s Museum of the American Indian, the Millicent Rogers Museum, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, the Heard Museum and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.

Some Exhibits that featured Cavan’s work

  • Something Old, Something New, Nothing Borrowed: New Acquisitions from the Heard Museum Collection. Heard Museum. Phoenix, Arizona. April 2, 2011 – March 18, 2012
  • Gifts from the Community. Heard Museum West. Surprise, AZ. April 12, 2008 – October 12, 2008
  • Home: Native People in the Southwest. Heard Museum. Phoenix, AZ. 2005
  • A Revolution in the Making: The Pottery of Maria and Julian Martinez. Heard Museum. Phoenix, AZ. May 10, 2003 – September 14, 2003
  • More Than Art. Heard Museum. Phoenix, AZ. March 1999 – October 2004
  • Recent Acquisitions. Heard Museum. Phoenix, AZ. July 12, 1997 – January 1998

Some Awards Cavan has earned

  • 2005 Southwestern Association for Indian Arts. Fellowship Award
  • 2004 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division D – Traditional pottery, painted designs on burnished black or red surface, Category 1102 – Bowls: Second Place
  • 2004 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division E – Traditional pottery, jars, including wedding jars, Category 1206 – Jars, other Pueblos or tribes: Second Place
  • 2000 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division E – Traditional pottery, jars, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, Category 1209 – Jars, other Pueblos or tribes: First Place
  • 1997 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division E – Traditional pottery, jars, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, Category 1209 – Jars, other Pueblos or tribes: Second Place
  • 1996 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division F – Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, all forms except jars, Category 1306 – Other vases: Second Place
  • 1996 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division F – Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, all forms except jars, Category 1308 – Plates: Second Place
  • 1995 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division G – Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, all forms but jars, Category 1408 – Plates: Third Place
  • 1994 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division E – Traditional pottery, painted designs on burnished black or red surface: Best of Division</li.
  • 1994 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division E – Traditional pottery, painted designs on burnished black or red surface, Category 1201 – Jars: First Place
  • 1992 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division F – Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, Category 1305 – Jars, other pueblos: Second Place
  • 1992 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification III – Paintings, drawings and graphics, Division E – Graphics, Category 2201 – Etchings: First Place
  • 1990 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division J – Non-traditional, any forms using non-traditional materials or techniques, Category 1401 – Stoneware, slabware, etc.: First Place
  • 1990 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification III – Paintings, drawings and graphics, Division D – Graphics: Best of Division
  • 1990 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification III – Paintings, drawings and graphics, Division D – Graphics, Category 1901 – Etchings: Third Place
  • 1990 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification III – Paintings, drawings and graphics, Division D – Graphics, Category 1903 – Woodcuts: First Place
  • 1983 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification VI – Student (18 years and under), Division A – Ages 13 through 18: Third Place
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