Toya, Maxine

The daughter of famous Jemez Pueblo potter Marie G. Romero, Maxine grew up surrounded by some of the most accomplished of today’s Jemez potters. Among the potters in her family: Laura Gachupin, Persingula Gachupin, Bertha Gachupin, Virginia Fragua and now, Maxine’s children Camilla and Dominique.

Maxine has been producing pottery since she was 20 years old and over the years has earned numerous First, Second and Third Place awards in shows at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis and the Santa Fe Indian Market. She has also earned awards for Best in Pottery Division and for Most Creative Design.

Her favorite shapes to make are clay sculptures, large singular figures as seen in her famed nativity sets. Her nativities offer beautifully polished robes and peaceful and serene human and animal faces. She also usually decorates her pieces with traditional Jemez designs.

She told us she originally got much of her inspiration from Apache sculptor Allan Houser. She says she also gets inspiration from her mother and from the works of other potters.

Maxine tells us she loves the feel of clay: “It is so alive and it wants to speak through me.” Working with clay is her favorite form of therapy.

Some Exhibits that featured Maxine’s work

• Gifts from the Community. Heard Museum West. Surprise, Arizona. April 12, 2008 – October 12, 2008
• Images, Artists, Styles: Recent Acquisitions from the Heard Museum Collection. Heard Museum North. Scottsdale, Arizona. July – December 2001
• Bridges and Boundaries (Brucken und Abgrenungen). Peiper-Riegraf Gallery. Frankfurt, Germany. October 9, 1995 – November 6, 1995. Note: artists include David Bradley, Rick Bartow, Bob Haozous, Edgar Heap of Birds, Delbridge Honanie, David Johns, Mike Kabotie, Linda Lomahaftewa, Jean LaMarr, Dan Namingha, Jaune Quick-to-see Smith, Darren Vigil-Gray, Maxine Toya and Emmi Whitehorse

Some awards earned by Maxine

• 2023 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification IIB, Category 605 – Figures/Manas, First Place
• 2022 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market: Honorable Mention for Classification II – Pottery, awarded for collaborative artwork with Dominique Toya. Awarded for artwork: Untitled
• 2019 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division B – Traditional Painted Pottery, Category 604 – Painted polychrome pottery in the style of Jemez, Zia, Santa Ana, Sandia, San Felipe, Isleta, any form: Second Place shared with Dominique Toya
• 2019 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division B – Traditional Painted Pottery, Category 606 – Traditional storytellers, including sets: Second Place
• 2019 Heard Museum Guild Indian Arts Fair & Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division A – Painted, native clay, hand build, fired out-of-doors: First Place. Awarded for collaborative artwork with Dominique Toya: Traditional Storage Jar
• 2018 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division B – Traditional Painted Pottery, Category 604 – Painted polychrome pottery in the style of Jemez, Zia, Santa Ana, Sandia, San Felipe, Isleta, any form: First Place. Shared First Place with Dominique Toya
• 2018 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division B – Traditional Painted Pottery, Category 605 – Figures/Manas: Second Place
• 2018 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division B – Traditional Painted Pottery, Category 606 – Traditional storytellers, including sets: First Place
• 2017 Santa Fe Indian Market: Classification II – Pottery, Division B – Traditional, Category 606 – Traditional storytellers, including sets: Second Place
• 2017 Santa Fe Indian Market: Classification II – Pottery, Division B – Traditional, Category 606 – Traditional storytellers, including sets: Honorable Mention. August 2017
• 2017 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division D – Figurative, Native Clay, Hand Built: Second Place. Awarded for collaborative artwork with Nancy Youngblood: “Margaret Tafoya”
• 2012 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, Classification Honorable Mention.II – Pottery, Division A – Traditional, native clay, hand built, painted: Honorable Mention. Awarded for collaborative artwork “Generation” with Dominique Toya
• 2004 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division F – Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, all forms except jars, Category 1306 – Storyteller: First Place
• 2004 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division G – Non-traditional pottery, using traditional materials and techniques, any form or design, Category 1405 – Figures, all one piece, can include storyteller bowls: Second Place
• 2004 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Division H – Non-traditional pottery using traditional materials and techniques with non-traditional decorative elements, Category 1504 – Single figures: Second Place
• 2000 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division F – traditional pottery, all forms except jars, Category 1310 – storytellers (all one piece): First Place
• 1978 Heard Museum Guild Indian Arts and Crafts Exhibit, Classification VII – Pottery, Division B – Contemporary: Honorable Mention. Awarded for artwork: Kiva with clowns