LeeAndrea Bernal Trujillo
Taos Pueblo
Curator LeeAndrea Bernal Trujillo (Taos Pueblo) is a bead worker, homemaker, and volunteer worker.
LeeAndrea chose the following for the Grounded in Clay exhibit:
Taos black-on-white bowl
c. 1150–1250
Clay and paint
4 x 7½ in. (10.2 x 19.1 cm)
IAF.1004
Collection School for Advanced Research
Childhood Memories
Childhood memories take us back to a simpler time, when all that mattered was getting up early for Saturday-morning cartoons, sleepovers at friends’ houses, bike rides with my brother, Ona, and looking for potsherds after the rain on a summer afternoon. These are just some of the good memories I have of my childhood. I chose this piece of pottery because, when I look at it, it takes me back in many ways. I guess you could say it speaks to me.
I cannot help but speculate about the person who made this vessel. In a field near our family home, my sister Camille found a potsherd with a triangular pattern identical to that on the piece I chose. It makes me wonder, who was this person? Were they related to me? What struggles did they have?
Coincidentally, this pot is from Arroyo Seco, right in the area where I grew up, near Taos, New Mexico. It evokes not just good memories, but also sorrow because it makes me think of my family: my father, Roy; my brother, Ona; and my paternal grandparents, Louis and Marie Bernal, from Taos Pueblo, all of whom have passed away. I miss them so much.
When you are a child, your innocent young mind believes that things will always stay the same. As I have grown older, I have come to acknowledge that time brings change, and the sad reality of this life is that change is not always for the better. Having learned this lesson, I appreciate my family, my heritage, and where I come from so much more.
Even though I associate this piece with some sadness, it still reminds me of the happy times of my childhood. At the same time, I look to the future for comfort, especially when I am feeling low. My beliefs, rooted in the Bible (Revelation 21:4), offer consolation that we can look forward to seeing our departed loved ones again here on Earth. I look forward to seeing my dad, brother, and grandparents; to meeting my ancestors and talking with them; to finding out answers to many of my questions. Perhaps one day I will even meet the person who made this piece and tell them how their beautiful pottery stirred up many emotions and memories that touched my heart!