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Pueblo potters visiting the Whitehouse ca. 1969 Photo by Lee Marmon -
Butterfly design drawn freehand with a sharpie Courtesy Photo -
Pueblo potters with First Lady Pat Nixon Photo by Lee Marmon -
Handmade pottery with 3D design Photo by Wendell Kowemy
Wendell Kowemy, of Laguna Pueblo, is a man of many skills. He has learned automotive technology at the former TVI, forestry with the BIA, and studied criminal justice at NMSU. But in 1992 he became an artist, the skill he loves best.
When he was in his late thirties, his good friend, KJ, taught him woodworking and told him he could draw. He hesitantly tried to draw and found he liked it well enough to work toward developing his creative skills. Now as an artist, Kowemy expresses himself in wood burning, pottery, drawing, and painting.
He made it sound easy as he gave a brief explanation of working with clay. First he gathers his clay from a special spot, his meetsi. Then, he begins with a ball of the clay, pinching it into a cup. All his work is done by hand, he never uses a wheel. Next, he makes coils by hand, and then smashes them to release any air. Building the coils and shaping them into the desired shape for the pot, next it is allowed to dry, then polished with a stone. This process takes about one week, but Kowemy finds it more fulfilling than painting greenware, a formed pot that can be purchased. Kowemy’s pots can be used for cooking or baking, and if one breaks, they can be recycled into a new vessel He has had success and is especially proud of his Butterfly design, which is copyrighted. The design is an intricate and delicate butterfly of even controlled lines, all drawn freehand, and with a sharpie, if you can imagine. He has found appreciation for his craft at the Indian Arts Center in Laguna Pueblo, where owners, Dominic and his mother, Janice, display his work.
He also treasures his grandmother’s, Evelyn Cheromiah, design. He calls it her Washington design. In 1969 Ms. Cheromiah accompanied a group of Pueblo potters to Washington DC as guests of President and Mrs. Richard Nixon. They were given freedom to view the White House and the President’s special collection of pottery, where they found pots made by their own ancestors.
Kowemy, like most Pueblo artists, has been generous with his skills, taking part in the Fatherhood Program at Isleta Pueblo Headstart in 2007, and teaching the craft of making pottery to 18 families. The event took place over 8 weeks at his daughter’s, Kree Loraye Kowemy, school. At the end of the project, an art show was held and the newly made pots were used as the prizes.
Kowemy has overcome some personal demons in his life, and one benefit of working with clay is, he says, that it keeps his mind occupied. He recommends the benefits of creativity to anyone.