Linda Dunlap: Keeper of the Guarded Secret
The Rancho Chimayó Collection Galeria is proud to be the exclusive representative for San Ildefonso master Linda Dunlap, since 1994. As a direct descendant of the Maria Martinez bloodline, Carmelita-Dunlap's daughter Linda carries forward a legacy of precision, patience, and a color found nowhere else in the world.
Inheriting the Flame
Linda Dunlap’s lineage is one of the most decorated in Native American art history. Her mother, Carmelita Dunlap, was raised and trained by Maria Martinez herself—one of only three apprentices to learn directly from the Matriarch. Carmelia was the most awarded potter at the Santa Fe Indian Maarket in history and deemed a living national treasure by President Richard Nixon where her pieces were displayed during his administration in the White House.
Linda stands as one of the few "prodigy" level artists capable of maintaining the rigorous standards of the Martinez-Dunlap family name. Her workss have been featured and displayed at the Smithsonian.
Since 1994, Joseph Sisneros has worked closely with Linda to ensure her national treasures are preserved and shared with the world's most discerning collectors.
A Color Reserved for the Family
While many are familiar with the San Ildefonso Black-on-Black style, the "Sunrise Chocolate Brown" is a guarded secret known only to a few. Originating with her brother, Carlos Sunrise, the formula and firing timing for this specific earthy hue have never been shared with the public—or even with the wider Pueblo. It remains a family treasure, passed down only to those with the master-level skill to execute it. At the Galeria, we provide a rare window into this exclusive world.
Patience Measured in Months
Creating a piece of Sunrise Chocolate Brown pottery is a marathon of focus. From gathering the raw clay and sand to the final firing, a single vessel can take months to complete. After the smoking process that changes the inital pot to the chocolate tone, where the smoke penetrates through the entire wall of the vessel similar to the black on black pottery process. "Everything has to be in the right mood," Linda says. "Everything has to be clean so you can focus on the clay." The designs are inspired directly by nature, applied with a yucca-leaf brush that requires a steady hand and a lifetime of muscle memory.
Timeless Craft, Captured in Art
