Cora Durand facts for kids

Cora L. Durand (born August 23, 1902 – died January 23, 1998) was a talented Picuris Pueblo artist. She was known for her beautiful and useful pottery. Cora started making pottery later in her life, in the 1950s. She played a very important role in keeping alive the old ways of making pottery by hand, especially using a special kind of clay called micaceous clay. Her pottery was made to be used every day, not just to be looked at.

About Cora L. Durand

Cora L. Durand was born on August 23, 1902, in Picuris Pueblo, New Mexico. Her father, Miguel Lopez, raised her there. In the 1920s, she married Roland Durand, and they had four children together.

Before becoming a potter, Cora had many different jobs. She worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and at the Picuris Pueblo Day School. She also worked at the Taos Pueblo Indian Hospital and at two boarding schools. After a family tragedy in the 1950s, she returned to Picuris. It was then that she began her journey as a potter. Cora was also very active in her community. She volunteered at the Picuris Catholic Church and was part of the Picuris Valley Home Extension Club.

Cora L. Durand passed away on January 23, 1998. She was buried in the Picuris Cemetery. Today, a special historic marker in New Mexico honors her. It celebrates her important work in saving traditional pottery methods.

Cora's Pottery Work

Cora Durand's pottery was made to be used. This means it was utilitarian in its design. She followed a long tradition of making pottery by hand. This style, using micaceous clay, had been made in Picuris and Taos for many years. Cora even found her own clay in the Picuris area.

Another potter, Juanita Martinez, influenced Cora's work. Cora's pottery was shown in many important places.

• In 1974, she was part of a Smithsonian Institution exhibition. She represented the Picuris Pueblo pottery tradition there.
• She also showed her work at the Bond House Museum and Cultural Center in 1987.
• Her pottery was featured at the Arizona State Museum's American Indian Pottery Fair in 1994.
• In 1996, her work was shown at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.

By the 1990s, Cora Durand was one of the last people from her community still making pottery. She made sure her skills would live on. She taught her grandson, Anthony Durand, how to make pottery. He started learning from her when he was just seven years old.