Nampeyo, Gary Polacca

Born in 1955, Gary Polacca is the eldest son of Thomas Polacca (Hopi-Tewa from Polacca) and Gertrude Lomasnewa (Hopi from Shungopovi). He was born at the Indian Health Service hospital at Keams Canyon and educated in the boarding schools at Tuba City.

After graduating from high school, Gary attended Eastern Arizona State for 2 years, then put in 2 more years at Northern Arizona University. After he graduated with a BA, he went to work for the Hopi Head Start Program at the Second Mesa Day School. He also spends time tending cattle at the family ranch. His first love, though, is making pottery.

Gary said he was inspired to make pottery by watching and working with his father as he made pottery. Gary’s carved, incised and painted pottery is similar to his father’s, except his colors are more muted and there’s no red anywhere. He says when he looks around the landscape of Hopi, he sees only earth tones, no red. His pottery, without any red, brings him closer to the Earth Mother and that’s part of his objective in making it.

A second objective is to tell the story of his journey through life in search of deeper meaning. He feels he grew up separated from his people and the stories his pottery tells are of his yearning to reconnect and rejoin with them.

Gary’s sisters, Carla Claw Nampeyo and Elvira Naha Nampeyo, are also potters and produce similar kinds of pottery. Their grandmother was Fannie Nampeyo, their great-grandmother Nampeyo of Hano.