Virginia Garcia
(Virginia Tafoya Garcia)
(San Juan/Santa Clara, active 1987-present: blackware & redware vases)
Born: 1963
Family: granddaughter of Severa Tafoya & Cleto Tafoya;
daughter of Lydia Tafoya & Santiago Garcia
Awards:
1991 First, undecorated wedding vase, Indian Market, Santa Fe
1993 Second, wedding vase, Indian Market, Santa Fe
Exhibitions:
1992-99 Indian Market, Santa Fe
1999 Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Arts & Crafts Show
Favorite Designs: bear paws

“I mainly do traditional style because it’s more beautiful. My grandmother [Severa Tafoya] started with traditional. My mother [Lydia Garcia] didn’t do too much pottery She did it when I grew up. Tina [Garcia, her sister] caught on, but I didn’t get into pottery until 1987, then Tina and my boyfriend encouraged me to work. They kind of pushed, they wanted to see how well I could do. I was messing around at Tina’s and she said I should continue. My first pots were pretty bad. I watched the different ways she worked. I work with water jar forms, round bear paw bowls, and wedding vases. I’m starting to get into melon bowls now. I do both black and red, and I don’t do carving.”