Frye, Claudia Vigil

Claudia Vigil Frye counts herself a third-generation Tesuque Pueblo potter. Her father was Pete Vigil of Tesuque, her mother was Lela Vigil of Apache heritage. David Vigil, the painter, is her brother, Katherine Vigil, the potter, is her sister. Her grandfather, Thomas Vigil, was one of the most famous of Tesuque Pueblo’s painters. Claudia’s aunt, Terry Tapia once said, “Painting just went down the line of our family I guess.”

Claudia generally makes three different styles of pottery: 19th century Tesuque polychrome designs on orange, polychrome Hopi-Tewa designs on white and lidded micaceous pottery in contemporary forms. She usually signs her pieces: Ka’Ween.

Jacob Thomas Frye, another Tesuque potter, is Claudia’s son. His father is an artist originally from Fort Collins, CO, who relocated to Tesuque after marrying Claudia.