A collaborative set of four Pueblo jars by SAR Native Artist fellows headlines the auction at the School for Advanced Research’s Annual Gala on Saturday, June 6 in Santa Fe.
The story of clay in New Mexico is having a moment. Native clay artists are receiving renewed attention across the Southwest with several exhibitions opening this year that explore contemporary practice alongside the long histories of Pueblo pottery. A common thread across these projects is the relationship between creativity and a deep connection to place.
Among the organizations helping advance that conversation is the School for Advanced Research (SAR), an independent nonprofit in Santa Fe that supports artists, scholars, and Native knowledge through fellowships, collections-based research, and public programs. Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery, an exhibition developed by SAR’s Indian Arts Research Center and the Vilcek Foundation in partnership with Pueblo communities, returned to New Mexico this spring after a national traveling tour that included the Met, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the St. Louis Museum of Art. Visitors can now see it at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque (through February 2027).
As the exhibition was being unpacked for its Albuquerque venue, SAR sought another way to highlight the relationships fostered through its Native Artist Fellowship Program. The result of this inquiry will be part of SAR’s Annual Gala on June 6, 2026.
Earlier this year, former SAR Native Artist fellow Kathleen Wall (Jemez Pueblo/Chippewa) gathered clay alongside poet, potter, and cultural practitioner Max Early. From that earth, Wall created four jars informed by vessel forms found across Pueblo history.
Then the project shifted from individual to collaborative.
Wall and SAR invited SAR Native Artist fellows Eliza Naranjo Morse (Santa Clara Pueblo/Kha’p’o Owingeh), Marla Allison (Laguna Pueblo), Mateo Romero (Cochiti Pueblo), and Margarita Paz-Pedro (Laguna Pueblo, Santa Clara Pueblo, Mexican American) to contribute one hand-painted vessel, with each artist bringing notably different approaches to contemporary Native art.
“What makes this project special is the chance to spend time thinking about the incredible history and resilience of Pueblo people,” reflects Marla Allison. “We are here and becoming in stunning ways. These contemporary vessels act as a reminder to me that we live in a world where we are enhanced by what others offer.”
The completed set varies in scale, color, and visual language. Rather than seeking consistency, the artists allowed each vessel to retain its own identity while remaining connected through shared material and the collaborative exchange of ideas.
That exchange is central to SAR’s work. For more than a century, the organization has created space for artists, scholars, and communities to pursue work that might not happen elsewhere, often building relationships that continue long after a fellowship ends. Projects like this offer a visible example of those connections in practice.
The four jars will be offered as a single auction item at SAR’s Annual Gala on June 6, with all the proceeds supporting fellowships, research, Native arts programming, and public education. Get tickets here.
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