How I was Adopted into a Family of Potters (Part One)

The Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, family of potters who adopted me when I visited the famous pottery village in 2009 and 2011 with Valentín. (Rosy Mora and Adán Villalobos and children – all grown now).  

How it all Started

What led me on my first expedition to the famed pottery village ofMata Ortiz, Chihuahua, in 2009? As promised, here is another adventurewith Valentín (my Mexican companion).

As you may remember, Valentín was a salesman for Adalberto Pérez Meillón at the Pérez Meillón Gallery. Featured in the gallery were magnificent hand-built ceramics from Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua. Just out of college, Adalberto taught in an elementary school near Mata Ortiz and eventually became a shop owner in Ensenada and the exclusive representative of Mata Ortiz pottery in Baja California.

The more information they shared about the Mata Ortiz potters and their acclaim throughout Mexico and the Southwestern United States, the more I wanted to meet the potters first-hand in their own hometown. Adalberto made frequent purchasing trips to Mata Ortiz and he and a friend had built a modest adobe home in the El Porvenir neighborhood. He kindly made his vacation home available to Valentín and me for a visit.

Adalberto’s home under a mountain peak called “El Indio” 

The Amethyst Colored Wall

It didn’t take me long after arriving at Adalberto’s vacation home to meet some of the potters.  I ventured out for an early morning walk in the neighborhood the day after we arrived. Young people emerged from their home studios with pots in their hands asking me if I’d like to see more.

When a particularly persistent grandmother invited me into her home, I couldn’t resist. Even though I was carrying no money, this did not deter her from treating me with great kindness. Antonia displayed pottery crafted by many different members of her family.

I told her I was interested in the miniature pots she showed me. She said were hand made by her daughter Rosy and we left each other as new friends.  Her adobe fence was washed with a lovely shade of amethyst, which was a sign to me that I would surely return – amethyst being my favorite color.  

I got back from my walk and Valentín had breakfast waiting for me. Then there was a knock on the front door.  It was Rosy Mora with a handwoven basket full of miniature pots to show me. (Rosy’s mother, Antonia, had phoned her and she drove over immediately.)

Rosy and her miniatures

I was so smitten with the mini pots that I bought every single one of them – the whole basketful. Rosy had arrived in the family Ford Bronco and Valentín saw an opportunity to arrange transportation for us for our 10-day stay. (We had arrived by bus and taxi and were housed on the outskirts of Mata Ortiz.)

Rosy drove back home and returned with her husband Adán who agreed to drive us anywhere we wanted to go during our stay. We were immediately incorporated into their family of five and met many extended family members who were also potters.

Rosy (maroon shirt), Adám (in back), Antonia (red shirt) and extended family members welcomed us as if we were long-lost cousins.

Our days were spent sharing meals with Rosy and family, visiting local sites and museums, and driving to mountain overlooks. Rosy and her mom offered to teach me how to make a pot with my own hands using the Mata Ortiz technique developed by master potter Juan Quezada (a former neighbor of Rosy and Adán’s).

​I was skeptical about my ability to hand-build a nice-looking pot. Working in three dimensions has never been my forte. However, Rosy and her mother encouraged me to try. Below is a spoiler for Part Two where I’ll cover the steps of crafting Mata Ortiz pottery and firing without a kiln.

The final version of my 4” mini pot that was completed in Rosy’s kitchen studio.

How I was adopted into a Family of Potters (Part Two) is coming next month