Maria Martinez

Martinez was one of the best-known Pueblo artists of the twentieth century. Maria Martinez from San Ildefonso created pottery using techniques that originated generations earlier, specifically those that her grandmother used which were then passed down to many others in her family. She was able to influence many people, including non-Native individuals, through her fine artwork. Maria dedicated a great deal of time in her life to learning and perfecting various techniques, no matter how challenging, to make her art as unique as it could be. Through this work she contributed to the preservation of the Pueblo culture as much of it had begun to disappear. Her influence in her art was so strong that it remains featured in several national museums across the country today.