Denise Chavarria

Santa Clara Pueblo

Denise Chavarria
Denise Chavarria

Born in 1959, Denise Chavarria was 16 when she began learning the traditional art of pottery making from her mother, Stella Chavarria, and her grandmother, Teresita Naranjo. Her great-grandmother was Christina Naranjo and great-great-grandmother, Serafina Tafoya. Denise is part of a long line of very talented potters.

Denise has participated in the Santa Fe Indian Market, the Eight Northern Pueblos Arts and Crafts Show and the New Mexico State Fair, earning awards regularly since the early 1990s. Denise and her sister, Loretta "Sunday" Chavarria, both still use the same designs they learned from their mother and grandmother.


Avanyu design carved into a red jar
Red jar carved with avanyu design
2.75 in H by 4.5 in Dia
Feather and avanyu design carved into a polished red jar
Polished red jar carved with feather and avanyu design
5 in H by 4 in Dia
Feather and geometric design carved into a polished red jar
Polished red jar carved with feather and geometric design
3.25 in H by 3.25 in Dia
Swirl design carved into a black melon jar
Black melon jar carved with a swirl design
2.75 in H by 3 in Dia
Feather and avanyu design carved into a black jar
Black jar carved with a feather and avanyu design
4.5 in H by 3.75 in Dia
Swirl design carved into a polished red jar
Polished red jar carved with a swirl geometric design
3.5 in H by 3.75 in Dia
Feather and geometric design carved into a polished black jar
Polished black jar decorated with a carved feather and geometric design
3.5 in H by 3.5 in Dia
Swirl and geometric design carved into a black jar
Black jar decorated with a carved swirl and geometric design
3.75 in H by 3.5 in Dia
An avanyu design carved into a polished red jar
Polished red jar decorated with a carved avanyu design
4.75 in H by 4.25 in Dia
An avanyu and geometric design carved into a black jar
Polished black jar carved with an avanyu and geometric design
4.5 in H by 3.75 in Dia
Feather and geometric design carved into a polished black jar
Polished black jar carved with feather and geometric design
2.25 in H by 3.5 in Dia
Avanyu and geometric design carved into a polished red jar
Polished red jar carved with an avanyu and geometric design
5 in H by 3.75 in Dia
Spiral design carved into a black jar
Black jar carved with a spiral design
4 in H by 3.5 in Dia
Feather and avanyu design carved into a polished red jar
Polished red jar decorated with a carved feather and avanyu design
3.5 in H by 3.25 in Dia
An avanyu and feather design carved into a black water jar
Black water jar carved with an avanyu and feather design
5 in H by 3.5 in Dia
Red water jar carved with an avanyu design around the shoulder and a band of feathers around the neck
A band of feathers carved around the neck and an avanyu carved around the shoulder of a red water jar
5 in H by 3.75 in Dia

Santa Clara Pueblo Potters