The best clay work of today is thus no less a measure of progress than was that of centuries prior. New ideas and new interpretations of old ideas are coming to fruition as Santa Fe—the nation’s oldest state capital—celebrates her 400th anniversary. The influence of legendary artists of the past like Maria Martinez of San Ildefonso Pueblo, and Lucy Lewis of Acoma, is omnipresent, always rich and never old, and along with the indigenous pottery traditions, other newer voices have entered the mix.

This balance between old and new gives the clay scene a vibrancy and depth that is hard to find elsewhere. The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture waits quietly on Museum Hill just southeast of Santa Fe with some of the finest Native American pottery in the western hemisphere. North of Taos, the Millicent Rogers Museum houses historic pots that are so exquisite as to be mind-boggling. Meanwhile, with the art scene springing to life in the railyard district, the contemporary gallery at Santa Fe Clay finds itself in the heart of things, having maintained its 10,000 square-foot facility there since 1974. Owner Avra Leodas is best known for keeping her finger on the pulse of contemporary ceramics, handpicking top-notch artists for national invitational exhibits, and hosting workshops led by respected teachers throughout the year.

Many significant figures in the contemporary clay world—whether they call themselves artists, potters, ceramists or sculptors, whether they fire with cow dung, electricity, gas or wood—live here. Ken Price, represented by New York’s Matthew Marks and in Los Angeles by LA Louver, will be the subject of a retrospective at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2012. Another resident, Daisy Youngblood, represented by McKee Gallery in New York, is the recipient of a 2003 MacArthur Award. In turn, many of the nation’s most recognized artists are represented here, including Jun Kaneko (Gebert Contemporary), and the late Ruth Duckworth, who recently passed away at the age of 90. Duckworth’s exquisite sculptural forms will be highlighted in a retrospective at Bellas Artes Gallery throughout the summer of 2010.

The fusion of new and old is also manifest in the work of artists who are taking their traditions to new heights, interpreting them in bold new ways. Chiaroscuro Gallery, with the work of Nora Naranjo-Morse and the collaborations of Lisa Holt and Harlan Reano, offers notable examples. Robert Nichols Gallery represents the work of Diego Romero, whose clever designs on earthenware offer an insightful take on contemporary life while harkening back to the techniques of his Cochiti Pueblo roots.

Jane Sauer Gallery, Patina Gallery and Blue Rain Gallery focus on fine craft, offering refreshing perspectives on contemporary clay. Jane Sauer shows the ceramic sculpture of Adrian Arleo, whose figurative sculpture incorporates unglazed beehive-textured clay covered with an aromatic combination of damar varnish and beeswax. At Patina, the colorful and subtly textured earthenware vessels of Nicholas Bernard reflect the past and the future. Blue Rain is home to the work of Tammy Garcia, who adapts and abstracts traditional motifs to redefine Native American pottery.

Another of the world’s most respected ceramic traditions is that of Japan, where ceramics have long enjoyed unparalleled prestige—largely due to centuries of appreciation by tea ceremony enthusiasts. An unsuspecting visitor might never guess that New Mexico is home to an active and dedicated tea group (www.chadonewmexico.org) affiliated with the Urasenke tradition of tea in Japan.

A favorite among tea enthusiasts is the artist-owned Rift Gallery. Located along the Rio Grande between Española and Taos, on the geological feature known as the Rio Grande Rift, Rift Gallery blends big city sophistication with small town meet-the-artists charm. Like Rift, Weyrich Gallery in Albuquerque specializes in wood-fired ceramics and hosts various tea classes and events.

Touching Stone Gallery in Santa Fe specializes in Japanese sculptural ceramics and celebrates their 10th anniversary in 2010, showcasing the work of artists who, in several instances, have never shown before an American audience. Touching Stone’s exhibits are posted online, and generate interest nationwide, though nothing equals actually visiting this intimate gallery in a refurbished 250-year-old adobe house.

The website of the statewide member organization, New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists (www.nmpotters.org), features a ‘virtual studio tour’ section spotlighting members, with information and photographs. A related site, www.contemporaryclayfair.com, provides information about the popular Santa Fe Contemporary Clay Fair, which showcases thirty selected artists each spring and fall.

For generations, writers and painters have described the lure of New Mexico’s landscape and culture. Artists working in clay also interpret this landscape and the tremendous vastness of these skies through our chosen media: the earth underfoot. New Mexico thus continues to be home to ceramics with an energy and expressiveness not bound to any one era, which—like Taos Mountain—possess a timelessness difficult to verbalize.