Tapia, Ira

Ira Tapia is the son of Frank and Mae Tapia. He was born into Santa Clara Pueblo around 1979 and grew up learning how to make pottery through watching and working with his mother.

Mae was the daughter of Santanita Suazo and sister of Candelaria Suazo, Martha Haungooah, Shirley Duran and Margie Naranjo. Santanita painted her pottery but her daughters all preferred the sgraffito method of making decorations. Mae and Martha also preferred making miniatures while Candelaria’s pieces tend to be just a bit larger.

Ira is known for producing miniature pottery and miniature figures in black and red, decorating them with sgraffito designs similar to what his mother made. He earned his first ribbon, a First Place, for sgrafitto in the student division at Santa Fe Indian Market, age 12 and under in 1989. He earned a Third Place ribbon that same year for a miniature piece. He earned a Third Place ribbon in 1992 for sgraffito, student, age 13 and under at Santa Fe. Then he earned a Second Place ribbon at Santa Fe in 1994 for a miniature figure. It seems he stopped showing after that.