Where Did the Name Spirit Tribe Studio Come From?

I have always felt a kinship with Native cultures.

The very first book I bought at a Scholastic Book Fair was If You Lived With the Sioux Indians. I can remember my dad finding a black obsidian arrowhead in our garden when he was rototilling one spring. It was a treasure!

I grew up in Colorado, and the areas we explored as a family included many Southwest United States attractions, like Mesa Verde and Santa Fe. I inherited a cigar box filled with arrowheads from my Grandfather, which I proudly display. There are touches of the Southwest all through my house.

About the time I called myself an artist was also when my first Spirit Tribe member came into being. I was in a ceramic class at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Washington about 15 years ago, and she just “happened.” That was followed by about 5 more of my Native figures, which I entered into a studio show at the college and then brought them home to enjoy.

Fast forward 12 years. After listening to family members repeatedly tell me, “You really should do some more of your ‘People,’ I was asked by my Husband and one of my sons, “Why not?” I had no good answer to that question! The next weekend, I invested in some clay, and some glazes and the ‘People’ began to happen. I was creating a whole tribe of them… The name Spirit Tribe Studio just seemed to fit the name of my business, as well as describing my ‘People.’