Grace Chapella

Native American, (1874–1980)

Grace Chapella was a member of the Bear Clan of the Hopi-Tewa peoples. She learned traditional techniques from her mother TaTung Pawbe, and her neighbor, the famed Hopi-Tewa potter Nampeyo. Tourists traveling through the Southwest frequently commissioned pieces of her work—particularly salt and pepper shakers—to be used in commercial venues. Tom Polacca, the grandson of Nampeyo and brother to Fannie Nampeyo, encouraged Chapella to sign her work. After initial hesitation, she began doing so, making her one of the earliest Native American potters to consistently sign her work.