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for John Montoya
John Montoya
1960 - 2005 Albuquerque, New Mexico
Person TypeIndividual
1887 San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico - 1980 San Ildefonso, New Mexico
1909 San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico - 2002 San Ildefonso Pueblo
BiographyJohn Montoya (1960-2005) was born into Sandia Pueblo and was one of the few potters from Sandia. A job painting ceramic pieces while in high school was his first introduction to ceramics. After serving in the US Navy, he returned to Albuquerque. He was interested in learning about the traditional ways of making pottery at Sandia, which had been largely forgotten. After approaching a potter from another pueblo for instruction, he was encouraged to learn on his own using what he knew about tradition. This process forced Montoya to develop his own style. After practicing with commercial clay, he transitioned to local clay. He became well-known for his polychrome pieces with Mimbres and Ancestral Pueblo designs.
