Melony Gutierrez

Santa Clara Pueblo

Melony Gutierrez is Sammy Naranjo's "significant other." Melony has long been known as an excellent basket weaver, she learned her pottery skills through working with Sammy. She told me once that her great-grandmother was Legoria Tafoya. Legoria's daughters mostly made pottery but Melony's mother wove baskets. Skills like that are generally passed down through generations of a family, although they also often move spouse-to-spouse.

Melony's specialty seems to be carved black turtles with sgraffito and painted designs, sienna spots and inlaid stones, something Sammy also used to do before he met Melony. I've seen both their signatures on a few turtles. I've also seen her signature on a few of his trademark black jars.

There is an interview with Melony and Sammy where they demonstrate how they make their pottery and talk about what the shapes and designs mean to them. The video was live-streamed in August, 2020.