Acoma Pueblo

Theresa Garcia-Salvador is a full blooded Native American Indian. She was born in 1964, and is a member of the Red Corn Clan.

She began experimenting with clay at the age of 23. Theresa was taught all the fundamentals of working with clay by her sister, Vivian Seymour. Vivian shared with Theresa the ancient methods of hand coiling pottery using traditional clays and other natural pigments provided by Mother Earth, which were passed down to her by her ancestors.

The lucrative aspect of the business played a key role in her wanting to become an artisan.

Theresa specializes in hand coiled thin walled Acoma water vessels and flat seedpots. She gathers her materials from within the Acoma Pueblo. Theresa hand grinds, hand mixes, hand coils, shapes, and hand paints the pottery. Then, she fires her pottery the traditional way, outdoors. The colors used to paint her pottery are also boiled from natural pigments.

Theresa has signed her pottery in the past as: T. Garcia, Acoma. Theresa now signs her pottery as: T. Salvador, Acoma.

She is related to the following artists: Clovis Garcia (brother), Nadine Mansfield, Gary Louis, Rita Malie, and Veronica Louis (cousins).

Awards:
-None to date
Publications:
-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies