Mata Ortiz Pottery

This incredible pottery, from the village of Mata Ortiz in Northern Mexico, comes with an equally incredible story. It is often referred to as “The Miracle of Mata Ortiz”.

Over 600 years ago, a sophisticated culture called “Casas Grandes”, or Mimbres, built a city called Paquime. They were contemporaries of the Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon cultures in the north.  Paquime was burned and abandoned by about 1500, but the ruins remain to this day.

In the early 1950’s, a young boy named Juan Quezada worked gathering firewood with his burro. He started collecting the prehistoric pot shards he found in the hills. Juan was fascinated with the objects, and the connection to the past. He wanted to recreate the pottery of the ancients, including the designs and method. By trial and error, Juan taught himself every step in the process of making pottery. He discovered where to dig the clay and how to prepare it. He learned to build pots by hand, using coils and pinching. He discovered how to grind specific minerals and mix paint. He made his own fine brushes from children’s hair. Finally, after much experimentation, Juan discovered how to fire the pots in his yard using cow manure and a clay or metal cover. 

Juan Quezada’s pottery was discovered in 1976, by an American anthropologist, Spencer MacCallum, who specialized in art history. He came across a pot in a junk store in New Mexico and was struck by its beauty, design, and perfection. He started a journey to find the artist that eventually led him to the dusty village of Mata Ortiz and Juan Quezada’s home.

Spencer MacCallum provided Juan Quezada a monthly stipend to devote his time solely to making art. Spencer spent the next eight years showing pieces to museum curators, academicians, and gallery owners. His efforts culminated in a major exhibition called Juan Quezada and the New Tradition that traveled to five prestigious galleries in the Southwest. The collection has been turned over in its entirety to the Museum of Man in San Diego, CA. Juan Quezada has been recognized worldwide. In 1999, the Mexican government awarded him with the National Art Award, the greatest recognition given to an artist in this country.

The final miracle is what has happened since the encounter of two extraordinary men. Juan Quezada first taught his family, and then he taught other members of the Mata Ortiz community to work with ceramics. Today there are 400 artists who make up this artistic movement, being the largest concentration of artists to live in one place.  Their economic level as a community has increased incredibly. They have achieved running water, indoor plumbing, and education for their children.