San Ildefonso Pueblo

Historians believe the original San Ildefonso people abandoned their original villages at Mesa Verde and Bandelier due to drastic changes in the environment… Today, the Pueblo is a flourishing art community with about 1,500 residents. It was the home of the late Maria Martinez, who along with her husband, Julian, developed the world-renowned, black-on-black pottery with black matte designs. Artisans’ homes throughout the Pueblo are open to the public for shopping. With an average of 20,000 visitors each year, San Ildefonso is one of the most visited Pueblos in the state. Permits for non-commercial photography, sketching and recording are available…

~ San Ildefonso website

When we were in Santa Fe recently, we stopped and spoke with one of the artists selling pottery across from the plaza in the city center. He was from the San Ildefonso pueblo, where we had visited on our first trip here, ten years ago:

The Weaver mentioned that she had bought some pottery there, but couldn’t remember the name. I remembered: “It was Elvis.”

The potter laughed and said “Everybody remembers the name Elvis.”