Katherine Poleviyaoma
Katherine Poleviyaoma was born into a family of craftswomen in New Mexico’s Acoma Pueblo. As a child she enjoyed making tiny animals and dishes, and as a teenager she studied with her aunt to learn to make traditional forms and to decorate them using customary designs and painting techniques. Today, Katherine makes both traditional earth fired pottery using clay she harvests at the Acoma Pueblo as well as decorative objects made from ceramic clay and greenware. She often paints her work with animals or other symbolic designs being careful not to use images, like katsinas (kachinas), with religious or spiritual significance. In addition to working with her son and husband on pottery projects, in recent years she has begun mentoring her granddaughters in designing and creating their own pieces while teaching them about Acoma traditional symbols and techniques.