Yazza, Ethel

Born into Santa Clara Pueblo in 1959, Ethel Gutierrez Yazza is the sister of Effie Garcia, Eugene Gutierrez, Sally Tafoya, Gail Tapia and Julie Gutierrez. Their parents were Victoria and Celestino Gutierrez. Their maternal grandmother was Rosita Velarde and she is who they say taught them the most.

Ethel specializes in deep-carved glossy black bowls. Her favorite designs to carve are the avanyu (the mythic Tewa water serpent), water waves, feathers and kiva steps.

Ethel married Wayne Yazza of Picuris Pueblo and moved to his home there. He watched her making pottery and got interested himself. He enrolled in a couple classes and learned how to make the micaceous pottery that Picuris is known for.

Now Wayne makes utilitarian micaceous cooking pottery. He also helps Ethel by forming larger pieces for her while she forms her smaller ones. Ethel will pencil on her design and Wayne will do the rough carving. Ethel will polish the piece, then Wayne will do the final cut. Ethel will do final refinements and then paint the outline of the carved edges and any other decorations. Wayne will fill in between the lines and they will fire together. As time goes on, though, Wayne does more and more of the hard work on his own.