Potter Lydia Quezada with her T-shaped door design
5500-year-old T-shaped door structure located inside the Cave of the Pot archaeological site in northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico
Ron and Vicki Sullivan
Mark your calendars for November 17, 18 and 19. Quail Creek will host the second annual fall Mata Ortiz pottery, Zapotec weaving and Taxco jewelry show at Kino Conference Center the weekend before Thanksgiving. Located in the heart of Quail Creek, Kino Conference Center is adjacent to the Pro Shop, Grill Restaurant and Oasis Lounge. This event is free and open to the public.
Have you ever wondered what the motifs on Mata Ortiz pottery symbolize? You are invited to a lecture by Cathy Giesy as she unravels some of those mysteries Saturday, November 18, at Quail Creek’s Kino Conference Center. Lecture begins at 10:30 a.m.
For many years, Cathy and husband Marshall have been leading tour groups into the great pre-Columbian ceramic center of northwestern Chihuahua. An Arizona native, Cathy has traveled extensively in Mexico and Central America. With a degree in anthropology from the University of Arizona and fluent in Spanish, her focus continues to be on high-quality cultural learning experiences.
Following in the footsteps of archaeologists who have studied the Paquime-style ceramics across the Southwest and northern Mexico, Cathy will provide an interpretive view of ceramics highly decorated with geometric designs, human effigies, macaws and a broad range of other animal species. Following her discussion, you are invited to peruse the large display of Mata Ortiz pottery.
Spend a few moments studying pottery by Martin Cota, one of the featured potters. He often decorates in this Paquime/Mimbres style. His graphics are sharp and balanced.
Also in the room will be Lydia Quezada, daughter Pabla, and son Moroni. Each are highly accomplished and creatively infuse the Paquime style in their designs. You may discover a common Paquime feature describe as “T-shaped doors.” The Quezadas often use this architectural feature in their design patterns.
Zapotec weaver Porfirio Gutierrez will demonstrate weaving on his loom. His lecture “Traditional Zapotec Dyes: Survival in the Modern World” will be held each day at 1:00 p.m.
Rounding out the November event is jewelry made from contemporary Mata Ortiz pottery shards and 92.5% silver by Agustin Torres Beltran, a Nahuatl Indian in Taxco, Mexico. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, totally hand-formed.
Weather permitting, the potters will fire pottery about 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Show hours are Friday, November 17, noon to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, November 18, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 19, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.