Virgil Ortiz

I learned so much attending the Virgil Ortiz presentation. I find him to be such an inspiration not only because of his integration of many medium, but because in spite of his success, he is incredibly humble and down to earth.

I was initially in Professor Holmes Museum Curation course before I had to drop it to switch to life drawing on MW. In her course, we were preparing to welcome Virgil to Saddleback and curate a show featuring his work. One of the videos I watched as I researched his story, he says that he shares his process because ‘It is not our secret to keep.’ That comment had such an impact on me and made me reflect on how many artists are very secretive about their processes.

Making pottery is a part of his tribal and familial lineage. He learned from his mother when he was young and realized he could make money to buy Star Wars gear with the money he made from his own pottery. At around 16 years, he began to do his own thing and explore his own style. When the gallery buyer, ‘Uncle Bob,’ would come to purchase the family’s work, he noticed Virgil’s pieces and invited him to come see the warehouse and studio. No one in the family had ever been invited before, and when he went, he saw all these other pieces made by his ancestors that looked exactly like the work he created when he was inspired to explore his own style! He said he knew at that moment that the Pottery Mother was beckoning him and he never looked back. (amazing!)

Virgil’s raison d’etre is to spread knowledge and the truth about the Pueblo Revolt as America’s first revolution and to uncover the whitewashed story spun by the government. He has traveled globally with this message and his stunning work, one collection purchased in its entirety by Cartier! 

This was an incredibly educational and highly motivational talk. I am so grateful I was able to attend and even more grateful that Saddleback has the privilege to host him as a resident artist.