Autumn Borts-Medlock

We are fortunate to be working directly with Autumn Borts from Santa Clara. She comes from a long line of distinguished and talented potters. Her great grandmother was Christina Naranjo, her grandmother is Mary Cain, her mother is Linda Cain, and her sister is Tammy Garcia. These women have contributed so much to the world of traditional pottery from the Santa Clara Pueblo.

A review of Autumn’s work in Native Peoples Magazine states, “Autumn Borts has quietly arrived at her place among the best of today’s contemporary ceramicists. Her unhurried but steady climb upward over the past ten years has been marked by many successes, among them several important commissions (including one from the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe), inclusion in a number of distinguished museum and gallery exhibitions, and, most recently, acceptance into Santa Fe Indian Market. “Pottery ties me to an ancient tradition; it connects me to my ancestors. Knowing that a thousand grandmothers did this before me is amazing, and to have been born into this heritage is a gift.”

Autumn is interested in continuing to create the old style shapes and designs in her work, as well as exploring new, more contemporary pieces. She works in both black ware, and red and tans, creating her own polychrome elements with floral patterns, figurative designs, and other new shapes. We are so pleased every time we acquire a new piece from her, as each one is different from the others, and each one has its own unique qualities.