At the beginning of the twentieth century, Hopi-Tewa potter Nampeyo revitalized Hopi pottery by creating a contemporary style inspired by prehistoric ceramics. Nampeyo (ca. 1860-1942) made clay pots at a time when her people had begun using manufactured vessels, and her skill helped convert pottery-making from a utilitarian process to an art form. The only potter known by name from that era, her work was unsigned and widely collected. Travel brochures on the Southwest featured her work, and in 1905 and 1907 she was a potter in residence at Grand Canyon National Park's Hopi House. This first biography of the influential artist is a meticulously researched account of Nampeyo's life and times. Barbara Kramer draws on historical documents and comments by family members not only to reconstruct Nampeyo's life but also to create a composite description of her pottery-making process, from gathering clay through coiling, painting, and firing. The book also depicts changes brought about on the Hopi reservation by outsiders and the response of American society to Native American arts.

"In Search of Nampeyo" Published by Lithexcel and Spirit Bird Press, Steve Elmore: The early years, 1875 -1892, an art history of the Thomas Keam collection of Hopi pottery.

In 1974 Seven Families in Pueblo Pottery was published to accompany an exhibit at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology: twenty years later there are some 80,000 copies in print. Like Seven Families, this updated and greatly enlarged version by Rick Dillingham, who curated the original exhibition, includes portraits of the potters, color photographs of their work, and a statement by each potter about the work of his or her family. In addition to the original seven--the Chino and Lewis families (Acoma Pueblo), the Nampeyos (Hopi), the Guteirrez and Tafoya families (Santa Clara), and the Gonzales and Martinez families (San Ildefonso)--the author had added the Chapellas and the Navasies (Hopi-Tewa), the Chavarrias (Santa Clara), the Herrera family (Choti), the Medina family (Zia), and the Tenorio-Pacheco and the Melchor families (Santo Domingo). Because the craft of pottery is handed down from generation to generation among the Pueblo Indians, this extended look at multiple generations provides a fascinating and personal glimpse into how the craft has developed. Also evident are the differences of opinion among the artists about the future of Pueblo pottery and the importance of following tradition. A new generation of potters has come of age since the publication of Seven Families. The addition of their talents, along with an ever-growing interest in Native American pottery, make this book a welcome addition to the literature on the Southwest.

"The vessels in the pages that follow open to us a world flickering with the light of a people's collective character and shared philosophy. These vessels have bodies of clay, but they float before us in the zero gravity of wisdom and belief."-- Edwin L. Wade Canvas of Clay tells the story of Hopi ceramics from the 14th century to recent times, offering a particularly close look at the art and life of the master potter Nampeyo (1860-1942). It analyzes the specific dynamics of nearly 100 jars and bowls, all richly illustrated, weaving in many insights into Hopi history, aesthetics, and symbolism. Included are original schematic drawings that will help readers understand how pottery decoration is built from ingeniously combined design elements. This book is a glorious testament to a brilliant art form and its practitioners, presented with passion, knowledge, and respect.

The Hopi-Tewa Woman called Nampeyo is recognized today as one of the most important artists of the American Southwest. Through her hands, the craft of Hopi pottery blossomed into the revival of an art form almost lost. By the opening of the twentieth century, Nampeyo's pots were being carried far beyond the Southwest to the showcases of New York and Europe. Notes, genealogy charts, references, index. Eighty color photographs and more than two hundred historic b&w photos.

Today when we hear the word “craft,” a whole host of things come immediately to mind: microbreweries, artisanal cheeses, and an array of handmade objects. Craft has become so overused, that it can grate on our ears as pretentious and strain our credulity. But its overuse also reveals just how compelling craft has become in modern life. In The Shape of Craft, Ezra Shales explores some of the key questions of craft: who makes it, what do we mean when we think about a crafted object, where and when crafted objects are made, and what this all means to our understanding of craft. He argues that, beyond the clichés, craft still adds texture to sterile modern homes and it provides many people with a livelihood, not just a hobby. Along the way, Shales upends our definition of what is handcrafted or authentic, revealing the contradictions in our expectations of craft. Craft is—and isn’t—what we think.

Primarily a women's art, American Indian pottery reflects a heritage of powerful social, religious, and aesthetic values. Even now, modern American Indian women use the clay, paint, and fire of pottery making to express themselves, creating designs that range from dutifully traditional to strikingly original. This book - written in conjunction with one of the most important exhibitions of American Indian pottery ever mounted - provides an in-depth look at a unique North American art form.