Barbara &
Joseph Cerno
Acoma Sun
6" H
x 13" D
Barbara was born in 1951 and
is half Acoma and half Hopi. Joseph was born in 1947 into the
Acoma Pueblo. Joseph was exposed to art at a very young age by
his mother and grandmother.
Joseph & Barbara are essentially
self taught artists. They are among some of the finest potters
of our era. Together, they specialize in handmade traditional
Acoma pottery. The clay is gathered within the Acoma Pueblo grounds.
All the materials used to make their pottery is from Mother Earth.
They clean, mix, coil, shape,
sand, paint, and fire the pottery outdoors, just like their ancestors
before them. They both participate and contribute equally while
making their pottery. They are especially known for their brilliant
and large ollas, with painted patterns of traditional parrots.
They have studied the ancient
pottery shards found within the many ruins in their Pueblo and
have dedicated many hours of trial and error in perfecting the
skill and artistry necessary to make quality pottery.
They have proudly demonstrated
their skills in many events and they have conducted several seminars
including lectures at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center of
Cortez, CO. This has allowed them to extend their field of research
into the the Museum of Western New Mexico University, which is
recognized as one of the outstanding repositories of the Mimbres
Cultures.
They have won many awards
in which are too numerous to list. The quality of these potters
works will endure for ages. Every one of their pots are individual
creations.
They have also introduced
their children to the art of making pottery, the traditional
way. They are very proud of their children who have won numerous
awards and are establishing themselves as quality artists. They
sign their pottery as: Acoma, NM, Barbara & Joseph Cerno.
According to author Gregory
Schaaf, Barbara & Joseph Cerno "are a husband and wife
pottery making team that has created some of the largest and
finest traditional polychrome ollas in the Pueblo world. They
use natural clay, mineral and vegetal paints and fire their pottery
outdoors. They are well-recognized masters, honored as top award
winners." Schaaf, Southern Pueblo Pottery.
