
Jean Sahmie is a nationally recognized, traditional Hopi and Tewa potter from First Mesa, Arizona. She is part of the famous Nampeyo matriarchy. Mrs. Sahmie’s pottery is in many national collections including the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., the Heard Museum in Phoenix, the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, and the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe, to name a few. Her pottery has been featured in numerous magazine and newspaper articles, and represented in most of the major books published on the pottery of the Southwest. Mrs. Sahmie’s pottery can found in private and public collections across the country.
Mrs. Sahmie unselfishly shares her knowledge and is a accomplished teacher for traditional Hopi and Tewa pottery making. She hosts numerous people at her home where she demonstrates her pottery making techniques to others.
The 2014 AILTA Event to honor Ms. Sahmie was on Sunday, November 16, 2014 at the Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona