Folwell, Susan

Susan Folwell was born into Santa Clara Pueblo in June 1970. She is the daughter of Hank and Jody Folwell, sister of Paul Folwell and Polly Rose Folwell. She grew up in a pottery making family and has said that making pottery was a chore for her at the time.

She attended the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI, studying fine arts photography and design. But it was all focused on two-dimensional design and pottery is three-dimensional. She yearned for that expansion of her medium.

After graduating from college she went to work for a professional photographer. It didn’t last long, she felt the job lacked the artistic freedom she craved. She was soon back at Santa Clara with her hands in the clay.

Susan mostly makes engraved, incised and painted buffware bowls and jars. Her designs and forms are filled with symbols from the Great Plains and Northwest Coast tribes and beyond.

Some Exhibits that featured Susan’s work

• Taos Light: Pueblo Perspectives. King Galleries. Santa Fe, New Mexico. June 6, 2020 – October 1, 2020. Note: one-woman show
• Artistic Excellence: the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market Celebrates 60 Years. Heard Museum. Phoenix, Arizona. February 2, 2018 – August 31, 2018
• Super Heroes: Art! Action! Adventure! Heard Museum. Phoenix, Arizona. May 16, 2015 – August 23, 2015
• That’s the Way I Like It. Heard Museum. Phoenix, Arizona. April 26, 2014 – February 8, 2015
• Mothers & Daughters: Stories in Clay. Heard Museum. Phoenix, Arizona. January 10, 2009 – January 10, 2010
• Choices and Change: American Indian Artists in the Southwest. Heard Museum North Scottsdale. Scottsdale, Arizona. June 30, 2007 – 2014
• Sole Stories: American Indian Footwear. Heard Museum. Phoenix, Arizona. October 21, 2006 – October 2007
• Breaking the Mold: the Virginia Vogel Mattern Collection of Contemporary Native American Art. Denver Art Museum. Denver, Colorado. October 2006 – July 2007
• Free Spirit: The New Native American Potter. Stedelijk Museum. Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. 2006
• Gifts to Celebrate. Heard Museum. Phoenix, Arizona. October 8, 2005 – July 30, 2006
• Home: Native People in the Southwest. Heard Museum. Phoenix, Arizona. May 22, 2005-September 30, 2005
• Breaking the Surface: Carved Pottery Techniques and Designs. Heard Museum. Phoenix, Arizona. October 2, 2004 – October 3, 2005
• Decidedly Diva: Part One, Jody Folwell, Polly Rose Folwell, Susan Folwell. Modo Gallery. Hudson, NY. 10/11/2003 – 11/01/2003
• Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation: Contemporary Native American Art from the Southwest. 2002-2003 Traveling exhibition planned for the following venues: American Craft Museum, New York, NY, 5/9/2002-9/15/2002; Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 10/13/2002-1/5/2003; Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK, 1/19/2003-3/16/2003. (05/09/2002 – 03/16/2003)
• Hold Everything! Masterworks of Basketry and Pottery from the Heard Museum. Heard Museum. Phoenix, Arizona. November 1, 2001 – March 10, 2002
• 1999 Annual Lawrence Indian Arts Show. University of Kansas Museum of Anthropology. Lawrence, KS
• Recent Works: Santa Clara Pueblo Susan Folwell. Lawrence Arts Center. Lawrence, KS. 09/05/1997 – 10/04/1997

Some Awards earned by Susan

• 2018 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market: Judge’s Award – Ellen Taubman. Awarded for artwork: “School Supplies”
• 2013 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market: Conrad House Award
• 2012 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division F – Non-traditional Design or Form with Non-native Materials: Second Place
• 2011 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division F – Non-traditional design or form with non-native materials: First Place</li.
• 2005 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, Classification VIII – Pottery, Division D – Non-traditional/wheel thrown/glazed/commercial clay: Best of Division
• 2003 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division J – Non-traditional Ceramics, All materials, all techniques, with or without decorative elements, any form or design, Category 1603 – Jars, wedding jars & vases, painted whiteware & other traditional clays: Third Place
• 2003 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division J – Non-traditional Ceramics, All materials, all techniques, with or without decorative elements, any form or design, Category 1609 – Sgraffito: First Place
• 2001 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division H- Non-traditional pottery, any form or design, using traditional materials and non-traditional techniques, decorative elements: Best of Division
• 2001 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division H- Non-traditional pottery, any form or design, using traditional materials and non-traditional techniques, decorative elements, Category 1501 – Jars and vases (with or without handles or lids): First Place
• 2000 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division H- Non-traditional pottery, any forms using non-traditional materials or techniques: Best of Division
• 2000 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division H- Non-traditional pottery, any forms using non-traditional materials or techniques, Category 1504 – Jars & vases: First Place
• 2000 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division H- Non-traditional pottery, any forms using non-traditional materials or techniques, Category 1506 – Bowls, painted, other than stoneware: Second Place
• 1999 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division H – Non-traditional pottery, Category 1506 – Bowls: Second Place
• 1996 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II – Pottery, Division G – Non-traditional pottery new forms, using traditional materials & techniques, Category 1403 – Sgraffito: First Place