Cerno, Joseph

Merle Joseph Martin Cerno was born into Acoma Pueblo in 1947. He usually works as part of a husband and wife team with Barbara (Hayah) Cerno making traditional Acoma pottery.

Joseph learned the basics from his mother, Santana Cimmeron Cerno. She earned many awards for her work in the early days of the Santa Fe Indian Market. Joseph said he spent years working with his mother, learning to work with the clay, learning to make the natural slips, pigments and paints they use and learning to fire pots as large as he makes now.

While Joseph usually makes the pots, Barbara usually decorates them. Together they make some of the largest and most colorful contemporary Acoma pots being made today. They have also have made some of the smallest Acoma pots, usually in the form of seed pots.

On large water jars, they often decorate with a parrot theme. On seed pots, they like to use ancient Mimbres-Revival designs. Now and then they decorate some of their larger jars with Mimbres-Revival themes, too. Their finely shaped and beautifully painted jars are among their most popular work.

Barbara and Joseph have earned many prizes over the years through participation in shows at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, the Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial and the Santa Fe Indian Market.

Their pottery is formed by hand using the coil method with hand-dug Acoma clays. Decorations are painted with colors derived from ground minerals and boiled-down plants, the latter usually boiled-down purple blossoms from bee weed. From the time they dig the clay to the final clean up after firing a jar can be months: the traditional method of making pottery is not a quick-and-easy process.

Exhibits that featured pieces by Joseph

  • Indian Market: New Directions in Southwestern Native American Pottery. Peabody Essex Museum. Salem, Massachusetts. November 16, 2001 – March 17, 2002
  • Heard Museum Guild Indian Arts and Crafts Exhibit. Heard Museum. Phoenix, AZ. March 7, 1992 – March 8, 1992
  • New Mexico State Fair. Albuquerque, NM. 1991
  • Eight Northern Pueblos Market. San Juan, NM. 1991
  • O’odham Tash. Casa Grande, AZ. 1990
  • The Leaders! Gallery 10. Scottsdale, AZ. March 17, 1988 – March 31, 1988
  • Rising Stars. Gallery 10. Scottsdale, AZ. January 22, 1987 – February 3, 1987
  • Heard Museum Guild Native American Arts Exhibit. Heard Museum. Phoenix, AZ. 1982
  • Rising Stars. Gallery 10. Scottdale, AZ. February 8, 1980 – February 27, 1980
  • Alice and Don Bullock’s Indian Ceremonial. Santa Monica, CA. 1978

Some Awards earned by Joseph

  • 2000 Santa Fe Indian Market. Class. II – Pottery, Div. E – Traditional pottery, jars with painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, Cat.1204 – Jars, Acoma (over 7″ tall), Third Place with Barbara Cerno
  • 1997 39th Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Arts and Crafts Exhibit. Class. VII – Pottery, traditional/ native clay/hand build/painted, Honorable Mention
  • 1995 Santa Fe Indian Market. Class. II – Pottery, Div. F – Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi–matte surface, Jars, Cat. 1304 – Jars, Acoma or Laguna (over 7 inches tall), First Place and Third Place with Barbara Cerno
    – Div. J – Non-traditional, any forms using non-traditional materials or techniques, Cat. 1602 – Jars & vases painted (other than stoneware), Second Place with Barbara Cerno
  • 1993 Santa Fe Indian Market. Class. II – Pottery, Div. F – Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi–matte surface, Jars, Cat. 1302 – Jars, Second Place
  • 1992 Santa Fe Indian Market. Class. II – Pottery, Div. F – Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi–matte surface, Jars, Cat.1302 – Jars, Acoma or Laguna, Second Place
    – Div. G – Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, all forms but jars, Cat. 1404 – Bowls, Third Place
    – Div. K – Pottery Miniatures: 3″ or less in height or diameter, Cat. 1706 – Traditional forms, First Place
  • 1991 Gallup InterTribal Ceremonial. Miniatures – Second Place
    – Canteen, Second Place
    – Lizard, Third Place
    – Miniature Seed pot, Second Place
  • 1992 Heard Museum Guild Indian Arts and Crafts Exhibit. Class. VII – Pottery, Traditional construction and firing methods, Honorable Mention
  • 1990 Santa Fe Indian Market. Class. II – Pottery, Div. F – Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, jars, Cat. 1201 – Jars, Acoma or Laguna, Second Place
  • 1989 Gallup InterTribal Ceremonial. Cat. – Pottery, large over 18″, Western Pueblo and any form over 6″, other style, Best in Category
  • 1988 Gallup InterTribal Ceremonial. First Place, Best of Category, Best of Division
  • 1982 Santa Fe Indian Market. Pottery, Second Place with Barbara Cerno
  • 1982 Heard Museum Guild Native American Arts Exhibit. Special Award, Ruth I. Elam Memorial Award
    – Miniature Pottery. Class. V – Pottery, A – Traditional Construction, First Place and Second Place with Barbara Cerno
    – Class D – Pottery Miniatures – First Place with Barbara Cerno
  • 1981 Santa Fe Indian Market. Pottery, First Place with Barbara Cerno and Third Place with Barbara Cerno
  • 1979 Gallup InterTribal Ceremonial. Certificate of Merit
  • 1978 Santa Fe Indian Market. Pottery, Second Place
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