Garcia, Virginia

The youngest sister of Greg Garcia and Tina Garcia, Virginia Garcia was born at Santa Clara Pueblo to Lydia Tafoya and Santiago Garcia (of Ohkay Owingeh) in October 1963. She grew up in a family of well-known potters from both Santa Clara and Ohkay Owingeh.

Like her siblings, Virginia didn’t like to carve her clay pots and chose to create a more traditional style of Santa Clara pottery. Most of her creations are of classic shapes and, except for traditional bear paw imprints on some of her pieces, undecorated.

Virginia was also a student of the firing process and learned how to cause a distinctive “plum” coloring through her firing technique.

Virginia started earning major awards for her work before she was 30 years old. In 1991 she earned a First Place ribbon for an undecorated wedding vase at Santa Fe Indian Market. In 1993 she earned a Second Place ribbon for another wedding vase at Santa Fe Indian Market. There were other awards, too, over the years, including several from the annual Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Arts and Crafts Show. Virginia also has had exhibitions of her work at Santa Fe Indian Market (1992-1999) and at the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Arts and Crafts Show in 1999.

As of late 2022 Virginia is still alive but she doesn’t produce pottery any more.