Tohtsoni, Therese

Born around 1985, Therese Tohtsoni-Prudencio is a potter from Picuris Pueblo. She’s one of the very few potters still working at Picuris. She was taught the traditional way to make pottery by her mother, Irene Simbolo, and has passed her knowledge on to her own children. Therese entered her first show when she was just five years old. Though she discontinued making pottery after finishing high school, she picked up once again as she realized the art in her Pueblo was dying.

Therese likes to sprinkle some corn pollen in each of her pots to bless them before she fires them. That corn pollen creates small freckles in her pieces, her trademark.

Therese is also a carpenter and was the first to offer sculptured furniture at the Santa Fe Indian Market.

Some Awards Earned by Therese

• 2012 New Mexico State Fair, Pottery, Second Place
• 2009 Santa Fe Indian Market, Best of Classification, Diverse Art Forms
• 2008 Santa Fe Indian Market, Pottery, Third Place (Lonnie Vigil of Nambe earned First and Second Places that year)