Tafoya, Linda

The daughter of Betty Tafoya (an Anglo woman) and Lee Tafoya, Linda Tafoya was born into Santa Clara Pueblo in 1962. As a granddaughter of Margaret Tafoya she grew up surrounded by some of the finest traditional potters on Earth. She learned the Santa Clara way early in life, mostly from her parents and her aunt, Mary Esther Archuleta.

Linda made her first pieces of pottery when she was twelve years old. Her father taught her how to form vessels and carve them while her mother taught her sanding and polishing. Her father also taught her his method for firing a perfect black pot and maintaining its high shine. Pieces they worked on together were signed “Lee and Linda.” Then she married Dennis Oyenque of Ohkay Owingeh and moved to his home there.

At Ohkay Owingeh she continued to make pottery the Santa Clara way but she also learned Ohkay Owingeh methods and imagery. She was one of the first Santa Clara potters to use micaceous clay on her pieces.

Linda lived at Ohkay Owingeh through the 1980s, signing her pottery: Linda Tafoya Oyenque, Santa Clara/San Juan. When she divorced she returned to Santa Clara.

At Santa Clara she remarried and is now Linda Tafoya Sanchez. She still creates traditional Santa Clara red and black pottery with some Ohkay Owingeh imagery.

Deep carving, light carving, sgraffito, micaceous slips, red and black ware, Linda does it all, and with an exceptional polish, too. She also taught her sons, Antonio and Jeremy, the traditional way to make pottery.

Over the years Linda participated in a number of exhibits, fairs and shows, earning awards regularly from the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market, Santa Fe Indian Market, Eight Northern Pueblos Arts and Crafts Show and the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonials.

In 2006 Linda was featured on the cover of New Mexico Magazine and was a featured artist in the 2011 Santa Fe Indian Market Magazine.

After all she has accomplished in her career, Linda says one accolade in particular still warms her heart. Early in her career her grandmother, Margaret Tafoya, asked to see some of her pots. She says Margaret looked over her selection and then proclaimed: “You do good pots!” It doesn’t get any better than that.

Some Awards earned by Linda

• 1984 – Outstanding Traditional Miniatures, Deer Dancer Annual Pottery Show, Denver, CO
• 1993 – First Place for a miniature melon jar;
  – First Place for miniature miscellaneous;
  – Third Place for carved miscellaneous, all at Santa Fe Indian Market
• 1994 – First Place for a black miniature jar;
  – Second Place for miniature seed pot;
  – Third Place for a carved jar, all at Santa Fe Indian Market
• 1995 – Best of Division, Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market, Scottsdale, AZ
  – Geraldine Harris Memorial Award
• 1996 – Ribbons for traditional pottery over 6 inches and traditional miniature under 3 inches, both from Santa Fe Indian Market
• 1997 – Special Award in traditional pottery, Eight Northern Pueblos Arts and Crafts Show
• 1997 Award from Santa Fe Indian Market in the Traditional Bowls and Vases category
• 1998 – Best of Division, piece was presented to the Prince of Spain;
  – First Place for undecorated black melon bowl and jar;
  – First Place for carved or incised bowl, all from Santa Fe Indian Market
• Best in Category at the 1998 Gallup Intertribal Ceremonials
• 1999 – First Place for a miniature;
  – First Place for a traditional pot, both from the Eight Northern Pueblos Arts and Crafts Show
• 2009 – Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division C – Traditional, Native Clay, Hand Built, Carved (including ribbed and incised): Second Place
• 2009 – Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division E – Non-Traditional Design or Form with Native Materials: Second Place, shared with Jeremy Oyenque
• 2010 – Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market: Classification II – Pottery: Honorable Mention for Classification II. Awarded for artwork: Ribbed Swirl Melon Pot (22 Ribs)
• 2011 – Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division C – Traditional, native clay, hand built, carved: Second Place
• 2023 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification IIA, Category 504 – Pins and Pendants, Honorable Mention
• 2023 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification IIC, Traditional burnished black or red ware, incised, painted or carved, Best of Division
• 2023 Santa Fe Indian Market, Category 702 – Carved or incised, black or red, over 8 inches, First Place