Special Guest Lecturer: Mateo Romero
Cochiti Pottery In The Coe Collection
UPDATE: February 23, 2023
February 3rd was the Coe Center’s first First Friday of the year and a huge success! It quickly became standing-room only with the most attendees ever for this event! The Coe Center invited Cochiti Pueblo painter, Mateo Romero, to speak about the Cochiti Pueblo pottery in our collection. Although Romero is known for his vibrant and impasto paintings, he also is a scholar, activist, writer, and collector. He authored the book Painting the Underworld Sky published by SAR Press along with essays, OP-EDs, and articles on a plethora of topics for various periodicals. He was invited to share his knowledge with the public on the variety of styles, techniques, and themes found in Cochiti Pueblo pottery.
The audience was enthralled by Romero’s lecture. His passion for the pottery found within the collection was palpable. He was immediately drawn to a round jar, the oldest and possibly ceremonial; he did mention that many similar pieces have been made to look ceremonial. Romero spent a considerable amount of time walking around the pot, inspecting it from every angle, and describing what he saw, felt, and what the pot told him. When holding the piece, he described the intimate and almost spiritual connection he felt with the pot. The captivated audience inundated Romero with many questions. Sadly there wasn’t enough time available to answer them all. It was a powerful experience for everyone.
First Friday,
February 3rd at 1:00 PM
Mateo Romero is an award-winning, contemporary Cochiti Pueblo painter. Romero received his BA in Painting and Art History from Dartmouth College and his MFA from the University of New Mexico. He also interned at the Tamarind Institute to become a Master Lithographer. In addition to his artmaking, Mateo is a scholar and writer. He has authored Painting the Underworld Sky, published by SAR Press, along with many articles published in periodicals and anthologies.
Romero has studied and collected Cochiti Pueblo pottery for many years. He has vast knowledge on this topic including the variety of styles, techniques, and themes.
We are excited to invite Mateo to the Coe Center and be a part of our first First Friday of the year!
Please join us to hear a fascinating discussion of Cochiti Pueblo pottery.
For more information about Mateo, please visit his website at: www.mateoromerostudio.com.
Follow Mateo Romero:
More About The Artist
Contemporary Pueblo painter Mateo Romero was born and raised in Berkeley, California. Although his cultural background is an urban one, through his father Santiago Romero and his connection to their Southern Keresan Cochiti people, this experience includes much of the Rio Grande Pueblo world as well. Mateo attended Dartmouth College and studied with acclaimed artists Ben Frank Moss and Varujan Boghosian.
He received an MFA in printmaking from the University of New Mexico. Mateo is an award-winning artist who has exhibited internationally in Canada and in the United States. He is currently a Dubin Fellow in painting at the School of American Research in Santa Fe, NM, and paints in his studio in Santa Fe and lives in Pojoaque Pueblo with his wife, Melissa, and their children Erik, Povi, and Rain.
