Over the last 50 years, NMPCA members have come from as many as 45 New Mexico towns!
Some years, north of La Bajada has had more members. Some years, south of La Bajada has had more. And, there have been some of us who live in other states, too.
[A note to why I use La Bajada as marker between north and south comes from Wikipedia which cites the wonderful book “Dictionary of New Mexico and Southern Colorado Spanish” by Ruben Cobos: The distinction between río arriba and río abajo dates back to colonial times, and continues to be a cultural and linguistic division in New Mexican Hispano society.]
Place is important! And the fact that our organization represents the whole state means even more, knowing that New Mexico covers 121,591 square miles (314,915 km²), and is the fifth largest state in the U.S..
1986
38 years ago, our New Mexico Potters’ Association, August 1986 member list shows us this array of towns that members lived and made clay objects in:
Members from New Mexico -- 64, from 21 towns, total
From the rio arriba – north of La Bajada -- 21
Chama 1 / Embudo 1 / Chimayo 1 / Las Vegas 1 / Santa Fe 15 / Los Alamos 2 /
From the rio abajo – south of La Bajada – 43
Las Cruces 2 / Hobbs 1 / Clovis 1 / Glenwood 1 / Gallup 1 / Ruidoso Downs 1 / Socorro 1 / Peralta 1 / Albuquerque 24 / Corrales 4 / Rio Rancho 1 / Sandia Park 1 / Placitas 2 / San Ysidro 1 / Madrid 1 /
Members from Out of State -- 6
Tuscon, AZ 1 / Aurora, CO 1 / Denver, CO 1 / Ormond Beach, Florida 1 / Salinas, Kansas 1 / Washington, Connecticutt 1 / Topsham, Maine 1 /
2006
Here are the towns we lived in 18 years ago, referenced from NMPCA Directory of Members 2006:
Members from New Mexico -- 172, from 45 towns, total.
From the rio arriba – north of La Bajada -- 78
Las Vegas 1 / Taos 7 / Ranchos de Taos 2 / Arroyo Hondo 2 / El Prado 2 / Embudo 3 / Dixon 3 / Chimayo 1 / San Juan Pueblo 1 / Hernandez 1 / Medanales 1 / El Rito 1 / Abiquiu 2 / Chama 1 / Farmington 2 / La Plata 1 / Cuba 1 / Santa Fe 42 / Tesuque 1 / Los Alamos 2 / Lamy 1 /
From the rio abajo – south of La Bajada -- 94
Galisteo 3 / Sandia Park 5 / Placitas 1 / Tijeras 3 / Cedar Crest 1 / Bernalillo 1 / Corrales 2 / Rio Rancho 3 / Albuquerque 46 / Los Lunas 1 / Belen 2 / Peralta 2 / Elephant Butte 1 / T or C 1 / Glenwood 1 / Gila 1 / Silver City 1 / Carrizoso 1 / Lincoln 1 / Ruidoso Downs 1 / Roswell 6 / Artesia 1 / Hope 1 / Las Cruces 5
Members from Out of State -- 12
CA 2 / CO 1 / OK 1 / TX 2 / AZ 3 / FL 1 / NY 1 / MD 1
2024
Here is where we came from May of this year, gathered from NMPCA Member Data by Membership Coordinator Jenna Ritter:
Members from New Mexico -- 212, from 40 towns, total.
From the rio arriba – north of La Bajada – 126
Los Ojos 1 / Farmington 1 / Chama 1 / Cuba 1 / Jemez Springs 1 / Abiquiu 4 / Santa Fe 74 / Tesuque 1 / Questa 2 / San Cristobal 1 / Taos 8 / Rancho de Taos 6 / Los Alamos 5 / White Rock 1 / Arroyo Hondo 3 / Embudo 3 / Arroyo Seco 2 / Dixon 2 / El Prado 1 / El Rito 1 / Espanola 2 / Chimayo 1 / Glorieta 1 / Lamy 1 / Pecos 1 / Las Vegas 1 /
From the rio abajo – south of La Bajada – 86
Galisteo 1 / Cerrillos 1 / Albuquerque 52 / Placitas 5 / Sandia Park 3 / Edgewood 2 / Los Ranchos 4 / Rio Rancho 4 / Corrales 3 / Magdalena 1 / Carrizozo 1 / Gila 1 / Silver City 2 / Las Cruces 6 /
Members from Out of State -- 9
Tuscon, AZ 1 / Fullerton, CA 1 / Lakewood, CO 1 / La Quinta, CO 1 / Mancos, CO 1 / El Paso, TX 1 / Houston, TX 1 / Los Angeles, CA 1 / Transverse City, MI 1
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For even more trivia, compare our state’s area (314,915 km²) to that of other countries: Poland (312,679 km²), Oman (309,500 km²), Ivory Coast (322,463 km²), Norway (323,802 km²), Italy (301,336 km²).
Other places for whom ceramics is important – combined area of North and South Korea is 84, 565 sq. miles (South Korea is 100, 378 km², North Korea is 123,138 km²), Japan is 145,869 sq. miles (or 377,973.89 km²).
According to the 2020 census, NM is the 15th least populous state in the U.S..
What is your impression of these different years, of towns lived in by New Mexico clay makers? We leave it to your interpretation, dear Reader. Please leave your thoughts in comments. Looking forward to hearing what you have to say.
-Cirrelda Snider-Bryan, Slip Trail editor 9/5/24
This map file is my own personally-purchased property - Cirrelda S-B.
