Salazar, Frances

Frances Naranjo Salazar was born to Flora T. Naranjo and Ramon Naranjo of Santa Clara Pueblo in September 1936. She learned how to make pottery from her mother as she was growing up. Among her siblings were Barbara Martinez, Glenda Naranjo and Sammy Naranjo.

Frances enjoyed polishing, painting and carving jars and bowls that she would later fire to be either red or black. She liked to carve and paint feather designs, kiva step designs and the avanyu (the mythic Tewa water serpent).

Frances’ work earned numerous awards at the Heard Museum Guild Indian Art Fair & Market and the Eight Northern Pueblos Arts & Crafts Show. Frances also participated in events at the San Felipe Arts & Crafts Show and the Pueblo Grande Art Show in Phoenix. She was featured in an article in the May 1974 edition of Arizona Highways magazine. She was featured again in the Eight Northern Pueblos Magazine in 1993.

Frances passed on in 2002.