The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) presents 'Burnished: Pueblo Pottery,' a focus exhibition running from May 8 to September 27, 2026, showcasing 24 clay vessels by women Pueblo potters. The show features works by historic and contemporary artists including Maria Martinez, Margaret Tafoya, LuAnn Tafoya, Stephanie Tafoya, Emma Lewis Mitchell, Dorothy Torivio, and Iris Youvella Nampeyo, drawn from NMWA's collection and donations from founders Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and Wallace F. Holladay, as well as their son Hap Holladay. It marks the first time the museum's pottery collection is presented in a dedicated exhibition and is part of the Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026 initiative.
This exhibition matters because it centers the often-overlooked contributions of women Pueblo potters, who have sustained a millennia-old artistic tradition through matrilineal knowledge transfer. By highlighting both historical masters and living artists, NMWA underscores the continuity and vitality of Indigenous craft, while also advancing its mission to support women artists. The show also reflects a growing institutional focus on Native American art and the importance of intergenerational legacy in contemporary craft discourse.