Fannie Loretto
Fannie Loretto, “Little Turquoise”, is from Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico. She was born April 22, 1953 and has been working in clay since she was a child. She learned to make pottery from her mother, Carrie Loretto. Fannie comes from a large family of potters, six sisters, all of whom have made a name for themselves in the American Indian Art World. Her daughter (Kathleen Wall) and two sons (Marcus Wall and Adrian Wall) are also well known artisans.
Fannie studied fine art at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and has been a professional artist her whole life. Originally, she was known for her traditional storyteller figurines. She then moved into creating clay sculpture, depicting pueblo dancers. Most recently, she has impressed the Indian Art Market with her clay masks.
Fannie uses only the traditional clay and paints, harvested from the earth by hand. The long tedious process of preparing the clay for use is a skill that was taught to her by her mother. She continues to use these traditional techniques and marries them with new ideas to create exciting new forms of Native American Art.
Fannie has received several awards for her creations including 1st place ribbons at Santa Fe Indian Market, the Heard Museum Show, and Eight Northern Pueblo Shows.
