Beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, Mesa Verde National Park will host a pottery-making demonstration by Santa Clara Pueblo-born Starr Tafoya.
The demonstration, pottery firing, and sale, all held at the park’s Visitor and Research Center, are part of the annual Four Corners Lecture Series. The series features presentations about the archeology, current Native American cultures, history, and natural resources of this spectacular area. All programs are free and open to the public. Starr will demonstrate how to mold clay into the desired shapes, explain the polishing and painting process, and finish by firing several pieces using traditional methods. Afterward, she will have a number of finished pieces available for sale.
Starr Tafoya was born and raised in Santa Clara Pueblo south of Espanola, N.M. She has a teaching degree and teaches in the pueblo on a regular basis. Starr learned to make traditional Santa Clara red and black ware pottery from her mother, Jane Baca. As a team, they specialized in animal and bird figures as well as various types of geometric pieces. Although Jane passed away in 2011, Starr continues the tradition.
The Four Corners Lecture Series is sponsored by Anasazi Heritage Center; Aramark Parks and Destinations; Bureau of Land Management; Cortez Cultural Center; Crow Canyon Archaeological Center; Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum; Fort Lewis College Office of the President, Department of Anthropology and Center of Southwest Studies; Hisatsinom Chapter Colorado Archaeological Society; KSJD Dryland Community Radio; Mesa Verde Foundation; Mesa Verde Museum Association; and Mesa Verde National Park.
Information: mesaverde.org/four-corners-lecture-series.