Lilly Maria Salvador

Acoma Pueblo

Lilly Maria Salvador is a traditional potter from Acoma Pueblo. She was born into Acoma Pueblo in April 1944, the daughter of Frances Pino Torivio and niece of Lolita Concho. Among her siblings were Wanda Aragon and Ruth Paisano. In the days when those sisters were growing up, the women of the family would all get together in one kitchen or another and make pottery together. So while their primary teacher was their mother Frances, they also got pointers from virtually every other potter in the family. But before becoming a full-time artist, Lilly earned an art degree from New Mexico State University.

Lilly makes (I saw her at the 2021 Santa Fe Indian Market and she was still making pottery) figures, nativities and Anasazi black-on-white and polychrome jars and bowls. She also makes jewelry, she weaves, she embroiders and she paints acrylic canvases.

Some Awards Lilly has earned

• 1976 Scottsdale National Indian Arts Exhibition, Third Plce award
• 1983 Santa Fe Indian Market, Third Place award
• 1984 Santa Fe Indian Market, Third Place award
• 1989 Santa Fe Indian Market, First Place award
• 1990 Santa Fe Indian Market, Second and Third Place awards
• 1991 Santa Fe Indian Market, First Place award
  Heard Museum Indian Arts Fair and Market, First Palce award
• 1992 Santa Fe Indian Market, First and Second Place awards
  Colorado Indian Market, First Place award
• 1993 Santa Fe Indian Market, Second Place award
• 1994 Santa Fe Indian Market, First, Second and Third Place awards
• 1998 Santa Fe Indian Market, First, Second and Third Place awards
• 2000 Santa Fe Indian Market, 2 First Place awards and a Second Place award, all for Acoma jars