Nampeyo, An American Modernist

Production Announcement

‘Nampeyo, an American Modernist’ filming in Santa Fe

SANTA FE — The documentary “Nampeyo, an American Modernist” is currently filming in Santa Fe.

Production began in January and will run through Sept. 1, while employing three New Mexico crew members and about five New Mexico voice actors.

The documentary will tell the story of Nampeyo, the legendary Hopi-Tewa ceramicist who transformed herself from a traditional craftsperson into one of America’s first modern artists.

With major funding by PBS Vision Maker Media, "Nampeyo, an American Modernist" is the first feature-length documentary to celebrate Nampeyo's life and work. The story is told through rare archival materials and intimate interviews with leading scholars, artists and members of the Nampeyo family.

The documentary is co-directed by Steve Wikviya LaRance (“In Search of Nampeyo” Short Film) and Tom Radford (“Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else”). It is produced by Max Walukas and is based on a forthcoming Nampeyo biography by Steve Elmore.

“The film restores Nampeyo’s rightful place in American art history, revealing an Indigenous visionary whose influence continues today,” LaRance said.