Baca, Taurina

Born and raised in the village of Mata Ortiz, Taurina Baca was one of Juan Quezada Sr.‘s first students, his first student that was not a member of his family. That was around 1973-74.

Between 1980 and 1984 Taurina made several trips into the United States with Spencer MacCallum. He introduced her to Pueblo potters Lucy Lewis, Maria Martinez, Blue Corn, Priscilla Namingha Nampeyo and Jody Folwell.

In 1998 at the Museo de las Culturas del Norte in Casas Grandes she earned the First Place award in the colored pots (not black and white) category. That prize amounted to about three months wages for an average Mexican woman. In 2016, Taurina earned an Honorable Mention award at the annual Concurso Ceramica de Mata Ortiz in the Traditional color, with or without design category.

Over the years, most of Taurina’s pottery has been bought by collectors who visited her at her home.