Sedona AZ (October 6, 2021) – The Sedona Heritage Museum will host a sale of Mata Ortiz pottery on Thursday, October 14 and Friday October 15 at the Museum.
Thursday from 4-6 p.m. will be a preview and pre-sale, limited to the first 50 RSVPs. These guests will be treated with wine and cheese and a chance for intimate one-on-one time with the artist. RSVPs are appreciated for this event for Museum planners. Please leave your RSVP at 928-282-7038.
Then, on Friday the 15th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m., the public will be welcome to meet the artist and see and purchase these one-of-a-kind original pieces of art. This is an informal ‘come and go’ during the day in the Museum’s Packing Shed.
Before his death, geologist and co-author of “The Artistry and History of Mata Ortiz,” John Bezy worked with the potters of Mata Ortiz for 30+ years. He introduced this group of potters to Sedona. Now, artist Oralia Lopez is continuing the tradition of bringing pottery from her village in Chihuahua, Mexico direct from the artists’ homes.
Lopez has set the standard in Mata Ortiz for finely executed geometric pottery designs and will be showing the results of her intricate painting skills, along with the work of her neighbors and fellow artists. A selection of her and other Mata Ortiz artists’ pottery will be available for sale at prices similar to direct prices in her village.
Mata Ortiz pottery developed in a small village in Chihuahua, Mexico. Traders from this ancient city greatly influenced the Anasazi, Hohokam, and Mogollon cultures of the Southwest. Pottery from this site was the inspiration for modern Mata Ortiz ceramics. Seen as a revival of an ancient Mesoamerican pottery tradition and based on 600-year-old processes, materials, pigments, and designs, this pottery is considered art, not craft. It has evolved from imitating pre-Hispanic designs to contemporary expressions by each individual potter or pottery family who produce distinctive individualized ware.
This is a free public event, and a fund-raiser for the Museum.
The Museum is located at 735 Jordan Road in Jordan Historical Park in Uptown Sedona and is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information, call 928‑282‑7038, sedonamuseum.org.
