Geronima Cruz Montoya
| Geronima Cruz Montoya | |
|---|---|
Gerónima Cruz Montoya (Photo by Clyde Mueller)
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| Born |
Gerónima Cruz September 22, 1915 Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico |
| Died | January 2, 2015 (aged 99) Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Nationality | Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, American |
| Education | The Studio |
| Known for | Painting |
| Movement | Studio flatstyle painting |
| Awards | Santa Fe Living Treasure (2004),Santa Fe Indian Market poster artist (2010) |
Gerónima Cruz Montoya (Potsunu) (September 22, 1915 – January 2, 2015 ) was an Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo artist and educator from New Mexico. She taught Native American artists at the Studio at the Santa Fe Indian School.
Her parents were Pablo Cruz and Crucita Trujillo, both of Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico, where she was born. Her Pueblo name is "Potsunu", meaning "shell", and it is with this name that she signs her work. Her mother was a well respected potter and it was from her that Montoya learned the basics. She then studied at the Santa Fe Indian School with Dorothy Dunn, from which she graduated as the valedictorian in her class in 1935, and at Claremont College.
Montoya taught painting at the Santa Fe Indian School from 1937 until 1961. While Dorothy Dunn was known for developing the Studio program at the Indian School, 1932–37, Montoya was the first Native American to teach painting there for over 24 years.
For her work as both teacher and painter, Montoya was awarded the 1994 Art and Cultural Achievement Award by the National Museum of the American Indian. Montoya died on January 2, 2015 at the age of 99.
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