Sandoval, Socorro

Two wannabe-potters from the village of Mata Ortiz in northern Mexico, Socorro Sandoval de Silveira and her sister-in-law, Gloria Hernandez de Silveira, worked together and essentially taught themselves how to make pottery. They got really good at it, so good they taught their husbands who also started making pottery.

Socorro started learning in the early 1980s and by 1990 American traders were coming to her door to buy her pots. She was known for her large, thin-walled jars with her own style of geometric designs.

Socorro also taught all her children, Yadira, Saul, Lila and Trini how to make pottery.