Elizabeth Toya Medina

Elizabeth Toya Medina was born in Jemez Pueblo in 1956. Her mother, Mary S. Toya, and sister, Bertina Tosa, are also potters. Medina grew up learning the Jemez style of pottery. After she married Marcellus Medina in 1978 and moved to Zia Pueblo, she was granted permission from the Zia Elders to make Zia style pottery. She was trained by her mother-in-law, Sofia Medina, in the proper technique and began making pottery for the market in about 1980. While Medina paints some of her pots, she often collaborates with her husband: he will paint the pots she makes.