Jemez Pueblo
Virginia A. Lucero, member of the Fire Clan, is a
full blooded Native American Indian. She was born in 1964 into the Jemez
Pueblo.
Virginia was inspired to learn the art of working with clay from her
friend, Marie Romero, who comes from a long line of famous pottery artisans.
Marie taught Virginia all the fundamentals of working with clay using
ancient traditional methods.
Marie also shared special techniques to make her tasks easier. Virginia
began experimenting with clay at the age of 14. The lucrative aspect
of the business also played a key role in her becoming an artist.
Virginia specializes in handmade storytellers. She gathers her clay
from the hills within the Jemez Pueblo. She soaks the clay, hand grinds
the clay, cleans the clay for imperfections, hand mixes, hand coils,
hand shapes, and sands the sculpture by hand. Then, Virginia hand paints
her finished products and fires her sculptures, outdoors, with cedar
chips. The colors Virginia uses to paint her storytellers are boiled
together from natural pigments and minerals also found within the Jemez
Pueblo. She accents her sculptures with pieces of miniature pottery,
painted jewelry, and toys.
She signs her sculptures as: V. Lucero, Jemez, followed by a rain cloud.
She is related to the following artists: Carol Lucero-Gachupin, Mary
Rose Lucero (cousins), and Mary I. Lucero (sister).
Awards:
-None to date
Publications:
-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies