Shaped by Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez

This latest installment in the She Made History series features Tewa potter Maria Povika, who learned “the centuries-old tradition of san-away,” or hand-built clay pots made from clay, water, and volcanic ash, from her aunt in 19th-century San Ildefonso, N.Mex. When an archaeologist visits Maria in 1908, requesting a prototype based upon “an ancient sherd of black pottery” uncovered at a nearby dig, Maria, with the assistance of her husband, Julian Martinez, gets to work, eventually creating a new firing technique that makes her a world-renowned ceramicist and “elevated Native American Indian pottery to a fine art.” The prose is accessibly authored by Gonzales, the eldest great-grandchild of the Martinezes, and Freeman, whose childhood was informed by her Osage grandmother’s collection of art. Aphelandra adds vibrant, subtly textured spreads to this profile of an arts pioneer. Back matter includes more about the subject, the Tewa people, and San Ildefonso Pueblo; authors’ notes; and selected sources. Ages 4–8. [em](Apr.) [/em]