Pueblo Pottery Demonstration with Preston (Hopi) and Debra Duwyenie (Santa Clara Pueblo)

Preston Duwyenie says “I was born in a clay vessel,” speaking of his birth in an adobe house in a Third Mesa village. He senses pots as an animate presence in Hopi life that embody the land, the spirit of its people, intimately connecting Hopi to their environment and their history. Preston has many years of teaching experience, and continues to do workshops and lectures at numerous museums and arts institutions. He collaborates with his wife Debra Duwyenie, on some pieces.

Debra Duwyenie is an enrolled member of Santa Clara Pueblo. She learned pottery making in the 70’s with the help of her grandmother Petra Gutierrez, Mother Genevieve Gutierrez, and neighbor and friend Dolly Naranjo Neikrug. Debra has worked full time on her pottery since 1996 after leaving employment with the Institute of American Indian Arts.