Eppie Archuleta | |
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 Archuleta (left) in 1985 | |
| Born | Epifania Martinez January 6, 1922 Santa Cruz, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Died | April 11, 2014 (aged 92) Española, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Occupation | Weaver |
| Children | 8 |
| Mother | Agueda Salazar Martinez |
Epifania "Eppie" Archuleta (January 6, 1922 – April 11, 2014) was an American weaver and textile artisan at the annual Spanish Market inSanta Fe, New Mexico.[1] While the more traditional Chimayo and Rio Grande tapestries used diamonds and stripes in their designs. Archuleta specialized in more contemporary woven designs. Archuleta was a recipient of a 1985National Heritage Fellowship awarded by theNational Endowment for the Arts, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.[2] She was inducted into theColorado Women's Hall of Fame in 1997.[3]
Epifania Martinez was born to weaverAgueda Salazar Martinez and Eusebio Martinez, inSanta Cruz, New Mexico, onEpiphany, January 6, 1922.[1] Archuleta, who was raised inEspañola andMedanales, New Mexico, was the fifth-generation of master weavers in her family.[4] Her father was a schoolteacher who later became thepostmaster in Medanales; he was a weaver as well. As a child, Archuleta said she didn't really enjoy weaving but it was necessary for her and her nine siblings to participate in the process to help support the large family. The children also worked on the family farm.[5]
Archuleta purchased awool mill in 1989, which she opened as the San Luis Valley Wool Mill.[4] She produced wool yarn, which she sold to weavers throughout the United States.
She also worked as an instructor for both the Los Artes del Valle crafts cooperative and the Virginia Neal Blue Women's Resource Center, "which were established in the late 1950s to boost the local economy. These programs facilitated a revival of weaving and embroidery in the Valley and helped Archuleta and others to continue their work."[6]
Archuleta was profiled in a January 1991 article inNational Geographic magazine. She was awarded the master's award for lifetime achievement from Spanish Market of Santa Fe in 2001. (Her sister, Cordelia Coronado, was also a recipient of the Spanish Market's lifetime award that same year). She was also a guest at the 1993 inauguration of U.S. PresidentBill Clinton and was honored at theWhite House.[7] In 1995, Archuleta received an honorary Doctorate of Arts fromAdams State University inAlamosa, Colorado. She was also the subject of a 2004 book titledEppie Archuleta and the Tale of Juan de la Burra.[8]
In October 1940, she married Francisco Archuleta. The couple moved to theSan Luis Valley of Colorado in 1951, where Francisco worked as a farmer and rancher. Archuleta had ten children, eight of whom lived to adulthood. The Archuletas later moved to a ranch inCapulin, Colorado, where she built a small home next to a wool mill.[7] She also resided inLa Jara, Colorado.
Archuleta died on April 11, 2014, at Espanola Hospital inEspañola, New Mexico, at the age of 92. By 2001, she had 36 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.[7] Her survivors included her daughter, Norma Medina, who is also a master weaver.
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