https://casa-aurora-publications.com/ 2026-09-28 weekly 1.0 https://casa-aurora-publications.com/cars-in-the-new-mexico-landscape 2026-09-28 monthly 0.8 https://casa-aurora-publications.com/via-crucis-of-the-camino-real 2026-09-28 monthly 0.8 https://casa-aurora-publications.com/70s-san-francisco-urban-portraits 2026-09-28 monthly 0.8 https://casa-aurora-publications.com/invoking-the-ancestors 2026-09-28 monthly 0.8 https://casa-aurora-publications.com/volume-i-graciela-hector-gallegos 2026-09-28 monthly 0.8 https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_oy9zxa_Picture_1.jpg MATA ORTIZ: The Art of Survival & The Survival of Art, Volume Iby Ana Livingston PaddockActivate Overview (below) for more information on this book. BUY BOOK MATA ORTIZ: The Art of Survival & The Survival of Art, Volume I by Ana Livingston Paddock Activate Overview (below) for more information on this book. BUY BOOK https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_05vgj6_Picture_2.jpg The following are selected pages from the book containing images and text. The following are selected pages from the book containing images and text. https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_ve6yw1_V_I_4.jpg The Palanganas River Valley. "MATA ORTIZ is a small land-grant village or ejido in Chihuahua, Mexico. It is nestled on the banks of the Palanganas River in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at an elevation of roughly 5200 feet." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_mvzesf_Picture_4.jpg {quote}There are some 300 families in the village.{quote} "There are some 300 families in the village." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_qrekim_V_I_11.jpg {quote}This publication is the story of potters Graciela and Héctor Gallegos, and it is the first volume of a series of oral histories about families in Mata Ortiz.{quote} "This publication is the story of potters Graciela and Héctor Gallegos, and it is the first volume of a series of oral histories about families in Mata Ortiz." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_cgydsg_V_I_8.jpg Members of the Mata Ortiz ejido "THE MEXICAN Revolution swept through this area of the country creating massive unrest and causing the Pearson lumber mill to cease all expansion and eventually close in 1914. .... The birth of the agrarian reform movement and the formation of ejidos happened around the same time." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_9g63ms_Picture_5.jpg {quote}Traditionally, the residents of Mata Ortiz have been ranchers and farmers, but many have also worked for the lumber and railroad enterprises in the area.{quote} "Traditionally, the residents of Mata Ortiz have been ranchers and farmers, but many have also worked for the lumber and railroad enterprises in the area." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_ql593s_Picture_6.jpg {quote}The Pearson lumber mill and the railroad then running through the village offered jobs to the many who immigrated to the region in search of work. La Redonda, the local terminal and rail turn around, serviced and repaired the train engines and cars that carried large quantities of timber and logs from the Sierra Madre. The train also transported people and goods back-and-forth from Pearson (Mata Ortiz) to Chihuahua, El Paso and beyond.{quote} "The Pearson lumber mill and the railroad then running through the village offered jobs to the many who immigrated to the region in search of work. La Redonda, the local terminal and rail turn around, serviced and repaired the train engines and cars that carried large quantities of timber and logs from the Sierra Madre. The train also transported people and goods back-and-forth from Pearson (Mata Ortiz) to Chihuahua, El Paso and beyond." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_hs9h4r_Picture_7.jpg {quote}Graciela’s grandfather, José Fong Poi, came from China by way of California and Texas. Feeling better suited to the Mexican culture, he moved from El Paso across the river to Juárez, where he became manager of the Cooper Hotel.{quote} "Graciela’s grandfather, José Fong Poi, came from China by way of California and Texas. Feeling better suited to the Mexican culture, he moved from El Paso across the river to Juárez, where he became manager of the Cooper Hotel." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_npdimn_Picture_11.jpg {quote}Mata Ortiz was also a rough and tumble outpost of saloons and gambling places frequented by transient visitors. As Héctor recalls today, “every grown man wore a gun.” Fights broke out frequently, and people were injured or killed to settle disputes. In 1958 when Héctor was four years old, three bullets to the back, fatally shot his father, a known pistolero or gunslinger, during a game of dominos at a bar in Barrio Central.{quote} "Mata Ortiz was also a rough and tumble outpost of saloons and gambling places frequented by transient visitors. As Héctor recalls today, “every grown man wore a gun.” Fights broke out frequently, and people were injured or killed to settle disputes. In 1958 when Héctor was four years old, three bullets to the back, fatally shot his father, a known pistolero or gunslinger, during a game of dominos at a bar in Barrio Central." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_vbgglk_Picture_8.jpg The text is written from many hours of interviews with various members of the Gallegos and Martines family. The text is written from many hours of interviews with various members of the Gallegos and Martines family. https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_brvenj_Picture_9.jpg The steps of the Casa Grande Hotel in Mata Ortiz. "La Casa Grande hotel sat on a hill overlooking the village. Although the accommodations were simple, the building itself was a large wood structure with a central courtyard. Rooms faced a big covered porch where guests found relief from the summer heat. The wide plank floors were covered in animal hides, and the walls were adorned with trophies from hunting expeditions to the Sierra Madre. Luz Elena Rodríguez, José’s granddaughter who is now in her 70s, still remembers when she and her cousins would sneak into the hotel, and the eyes from the animal trophy heads seemed to follow them in the hallways during games of hide-and-seek." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_e7hhwh_Picture_12.jpg Graciela Martinez and Hecor Gallegos in the 1970's "At the village dance, with her mother as a chaperon, Graciela saw her former boyfriend Héctor. She accepted his invitation to dance over her mother’s objection. Héctor came from an “unlucky family” according to Graciela’s mother." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_eqcbg4_V_I_37.jpg Hector Gallegos holding a pot and clay "Mexico is rich in clay, and many people who migrated to Mata Ortiz from other regions of the country brought with them pottery-making skills." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_9lz0ys_V_I_38.jpg Hector Gallegos washing clay. "Héctor handles the raw clay, soaking and sifting it through an old mesh bathroom curtain, removing all impurities." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_73becb_Picture_13.jpg Graciela and Hector making a pot "Today, Graciela and Héctor work smoothly as a team." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_cwy998_Picture_14.jpg Graciela Gallegos forming a coil pot "Once the clay is processed, Graciela forms it into a graceful pot. A museum-quality piece, such as the one made and illustrated in this book, takes her five to six hours to hand build using a mold and coil technique. " https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_pvuf8n_Picture_15.jpg Graciela Gallegos making a clay coil pot Graciela Gallegos making a clay coil pot https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_qqqts8_Picture_16.jpg Graciela Gallegos making a museum quality pot Graciela Gallegos making a museum quality pot https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_uyldu4_Picture_17.jpg Hector Gallegos sanding a pot "Prior to any painting, a pot is finely sanded and polished: first with papers of varying grades, then with a soft cloth and saliva, and finally with white Palmolive soap." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_fkp3mc_V_I_46.jpg Hector Galllegos painting a pot "Although inspired by traditional Paquimé pottery, his stylized designs are a reflection of a very personal imagery. Unlike many Mata Ortiz pottery painters, Héctor works directly on dry clay with no preliminary sketch or drawing." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_l9eczv_V_I_48.jpg cftrrsjq uwgwdr0j l9eczv V I 48 cftrrsjq uwgwdr0j l9eczv V I 48 https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_dx25ng_V_I_50.jpg A pot by Graciela and Hecto Gallegos Hector's finished pot, will eventurally be given to a museum, along with a coppy of this book. https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_uimway_V_I_51.jpg A museum quality pot by the Gallegos A museum quality pot by the Gallegos https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_nim8r2_V_I_59.jpg Hector Gallegos Jr. and Laura Bugarini "Héctor Jr., the Gallego’s eldest son, and his wife Laura Bugarini won first place in the 2011 pottery competition with a collaborative entry. Laura is skilled at the detailed brushwork that resembles hieroglyphics and is her signature style. Héctor is known for his sgraffito technique and the depictions of animals in the Chihuahua landscape." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_vr8c9k_V_I_61.jpg A colectors pot by Hector and Laura "A private collector from New Mexico immediately bought the award-winning piece." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_d2rz6m_V_I_63.jpg Miriam Gallegos painting pots "Miriam, the Gallegos’ eldest child, has inherited Graciela’s talent for painting small geometric patterns. She has a reputation for her precise intricate details, and she seldom has any inventory." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_d7imte_V_I_65.jpg Daniel Gallegos and his family "Daniel shares his father’s attraction for traditional Paquimé designs." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_bqz2gi_V_I_67.jpg Hector Gallegos Jr. at a party in Mata Ortiz "I ask Héctor Jr. what he finds most frustrating about his pottery work. " https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_n0o6ns_V_I_69.jpg Hector Gallegos at a party in Mata Ortiz “Time,” he said, “the loss of time. When a pot I have spent many hours painting, breaks in the firing, I know I can make it again. I know I will recuperate the money I have lost, but the time I spent painting it, time I could have spent with my wife and playing with my daughter, I will never get that back.” https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_crde0o_V_I_71.jpg {quote}Pottery can be more lucrative than farming if there is a market for it, and Héctor takes such consideration in stride. He works hard, and he is aware that, unlike his father, he is living the life of a very lucky man.{quote} "Pottery can be more lucrative than farming if there is a market for it, and Héctor takes such consideration in stride. He works hard, and he is aware that, unlike his father, he is living the life of a very lucky man." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_m7p05o_V_I_P73.jpg {quote}I didn’t have to ask Graciela what she enjoys most. She likes it all: the household busy with activity and full of siblings, children and grandchildren underfoot. She may complain about the chaos and mess at times, but she wouldn't have it any other way. She is the anchor of her family’s world.{quote} "I didn’t have to ask Graciela what she enjoys most. She likes it all: the household busy with activity and full of siblings, children and grandchildren underfoot. She may complain about the chaos and mess at times, but she wouldn't have it any other way. She is the anchor of her family’s world." https://storage.neonsky.app/4f074567724ef/images/cftrrsjq_uwgwdr0j_1eldvv_THE_END.jpg cftrrsjq uwgwdr0j 1eldvv THE END cftrrsjq uwgwdr0j 1eldvv THE END