Pablita Velarde
New Arrivals

Chimayo Trading Staff Report | October 2025

We’ve recently received two new arrivals from Pablita Velarde at Chimayo Trading Del Norte. As always with Pablita’s pieces, we don’t expect these works from her to be visiting us for very long. See them online at chimayotrading.com or stop by the gallery in Ranchos de Taos NM at the historic Saint Francis Church Plaza.

Pablita Velarde, born Tse Tsan (meaning “Golden Dawn” in Tewa), was a pioneering Native American artist from Santa Clara Pueblo, a Tewa-speaking community in northern New Mexico. She is celebrated as one of the first professional Native women artists in the United States, known for her vivid depictions of traditional Pueblo life, ceremonies, and daily activities. Her work bridged cultural preservation with artistic innovation, capturing the essence of Santa Clara Pueblo’s traditions amid rapid societal changes.

Gouache/Acrylic, 1960s
14″ x 10″

Velarde’s career spanned over 50 years, beginning with watercolors and evolving into her signature “earth paintings.” She ground natural pigments from minerals, rocks, sands, and clays—sourced from the Southwest landscape—using a metate and mano (traditional grinding tools), then mixed them with water and glue for a fresco-secco-like technique applied to masonite boards. This method echoed ancient Pueblo mural traditions from kiva walls, allowing her to create durable, textured works in earthy tones that evoked the land itself. Her subjects often featured solitary figures from ceremonies, such as dancers in regalia, emphasizing poise, detail, and cultural memory. She viewed her art as “memory paintings” to document vanishing traditions, including buffalo hunts, eagle dances, and everyday scenes like family life or craftsmen at the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe.

Earth Pigment Paints on Board, 1970s
14″ x 12″

Velarde married Herbert Hardin, and they had three children, including artist Helen Hardin (daughter, 1943–1984), who continued her mother’s legacy in modern Native art. Her granddaughter, Margarete Bagshaw (1964–2015), founded the short-lived Pablita Velarde Museum of Indian Women in Santa Fe in 2012 to honor female Native artists. Her commitment to cultural preservation—once stating, “A woman was supposed to be just a woman… Those were things I wasn’t interested in”—inspired generations, blending tradition with professional artistry. Today, her paintings remain vital records of Santa Clara Pueblo’s enduring spirit.

If you have enjoyed our newsletters and learning about the artists and artwork we represent, or if you’ve had a good experience visiting our gallery, please take a moment to let us know by leaving a review using the links below.

Come to the gallery to see where History Meets Art in Taos..

#1 Saint Francis Church Plaza
Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557

575.758.0504

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Contact us for the evaluation and resale of your collectible art.
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Contact us directly to discuss and evaluate your collection. If you’re an artist, contact us about the possibility of selling your art on consignment or direct wholesale purchase.

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