Nampeyo, An American Modernist

Nampeyo, an American Modernist is a 90-minute documentary film based on the life, art and legacy of the great Hopi-Tewa ceramicist Nampeyo to be broadcast on PBS with co-production support from public media presenter Vision Maker Media.

Born at First Mesa c.1858, Nampeyo was raised as a traditional potter and was an innovative prodigy from a young age. In a time of immense social and technological upheaval, she established the modern revival of Pueblo pottery, catapulted to national prominence by the revolutions of mass media, transportation and corporate sponsorship.

As a result, Nampeyo became a new kind of celebrity, described at her apogee by the Denver Art Museum as “among the greatest of American Artists,” (1932) by MoMA as “one of the few great Indian artists known by name” (1941) and by the Chicago Tribune as “the greatest maker of Indian pottery alive” (1910). Nampeyo’s revival of ancestral Hopi aesthetics introduced abstraction to the visual language of contemporary art, inspiring figures like Picasso, Kandinsky and O’Keeffe while establishing the American Southwest as a cradle of Modernism.

Yet Nampeyo faced immense personal challenges. Alternately viewed as a great artist and an anthropological oddity, she faced the deep inequities of her time, founding an enduring art movement which persists today over 150 years later. Her dedication to her craft became a source of strength, garnering a dedicated following of artists, intellectuals and spiritual seekers.

Uncovering this forgotten legacy, a new film restoring Nampeyo’s legacy as a significant Modern Artist is both timely and impactful. The story, previously untold in a cinematic medium, is enhanced by the inclusion of rare full-color film and historic photos which have never been broadcast. It reveals Nampeyo as a cultural icon celebrated globally, hailed by President Theodore Roosevelt as a vital player in the genesis of an “original American art for our whole people.” Her dynamic story challenges the definition of Modern Art and celebrates Indigenous artistry as a foundation of America’s cultural identity.