Online Exhibit - Heron Martinez Mendoza

This gallery by Herón Martínez Mendoza (1918-1990) showcases some of his impressive pieces. As a ceramic artist, Mendoza began his career making utilitarian pieces, designing containers to carry water. His design, which prevented the handles from breaking, was so successful that people lined up to buy them. This success moved him into making pots and planters, and over time, these became more and more creative as he changed their forms to represent animals, fish and various types of birds. As interest in his work grew and folk art stores sought his work, he let his burgeoning creativity loose to make different types of much more complex and sophisticated pieces. In this gallery, the pieces represent the major themes Mendoza explored in his work: trees of life (arboles de la vida), Nativity scenes, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and animals and natural imagery.

The art in this exhibit comes from four different donors: Ed Jordan, Win and Janet Carrick, Jean Mikeska, and Barbara von Merz. Jordan donated 60 pieces of Herón's burnished pottery in 2016. These pieces were collected over decades in both Mexico and the United States and are a reflection of Jordan's keen understanding and appreciation of Herón's work. For more information on Jordan's discovery of Herón's art, please visit this page created by Lee Price Arellano. Lee's site, heronmartinez.com, provides a wealth of information on Herón's art and the collectors keeping his legacy alive.