Art sometimes emerges from tradition and sometimes reinvents itself by transforming that tradition. Jody Folwell stands at the intersection of these two paths, a bold pioneer of pottery. Her career began in 1975 at the Santa Fe Indian Market with her first piece, Half a Step. Adding a raised, running bison figure to a traditional Pueblo vessel stunned the jury and sparked debate about whether this innovative work could be considered Pueblo pottery. This “half step” marked the beginning of Folwell’s journey to find her own expression while staying rooted in her heritage.
Jody Folwell practices the art she learned from her mother and grandmother, using techniques honed over millennia in her native Kha’p’o Owingeh village. In Tewa culture, the words for “earth” and “us” are the same, reflecting the artist’s deep connection to her roots. Yet this profound bond doesn’t prevent her from stepping beyond tradition. In a documentary, Folwell explains her artistic courage: “Traditional pottery is very structured, like a box. To do something different, you have to step out of that box.”
She continued to break boundaries with works like The Hero Pot in 1984, created with a non-Pueblo artist and painted green—a first. Later pieces, such as Wild West Show, brought poignant social and political commentary on the U.S.’s history of imperialism, war, and oppression of Indigenous peoples. These works showcase Folwell’s ability to blend ancient techniques with modern critique. Her artistic legacy, as the exhibition’s title in Tewa translates, declares: “I came here, I arrived, I’m still going.”
This legacy has been passed down to her daughters and granddaughter, a generational transition highlighted in the exhibition.
Exhibition Details:
Title: O’ Powa O’ Meng: The Art and Legacy of Jody Folwell
Venue: McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas
Dates: On view through January 4, 2026
Tour: Will be exhibited at the New Mexico Museum of Art from February 6 to June 21, 2026
