The Storyteller
Though effigy vessels and clay figurines have long been part of the pottery tradition of New Mexico's many pueblos, the first true storyteller was not made until 1964. Encouraged by folk art collector Alexander Girard, Helen Cordero of Cochiti pueblo created the first storyteller in memory of her grandfather, Santiago Quintana. Quintana had been well known for helping to maintain and preserve his culture through the traditional art of storytelling.