Garcia, Wilfred

Wilfred Garcia was born into Acoma Pueblo in March 1954. He was exposed to pottery making growing up but didn’t really get into it until after meeting his wife, Sandra Shutiva. Wilfred and Sandra both learned the traditional art from her mother, Stella Shutiva. Stella had learned it from her mother, Jessie Garcia, one of the matriarchs of Acoma pottery.

Wilfred told us he started out to be a painter but his mother-in-law told him his hands were meant to work with clay, not oils and acrylics.

Wilfred often collaborated with his wife, Sandra, in making white jars with organic openings and carved cliff dwelling scenes. They also made white jars with appliqued ears of corn on them. On his own, Wilfred made oval vases with appliqué katsina faces.

Wilfred participated in his first Santa Fe Indian Market in 1989 and earned his first First Place Ribbon there in 1990. After that he earned a steady stream of ribbons at Santa Fe, at the Heard Museum Show in Phoenix, the New Mexico State Fair, Eight Northern Pueblos Arts and Crafts Show and the Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial in Gallup.

Sadly, Wilfred passed on in December 2017.