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Alan
Cameros

About Alan Cameros

Attorney Alan Cameros is passionate about pottery. Along with his wife, Nancy, Alan Cameros has collected Southwestern pottery since the early 1980s. They have acquired an impressive collection of historically significant works. Their collection was shown in two different museum exhibitions during the past two years

Alan Cameros started his involvement with the arts as a docent for the University of Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery. Rapidly involving himself further in the art world, Alan Cameros was elected a member of the Board of Managers at Memorial Art Gallery a few years later. Alan Cameros subsequently was named a member of the Museum Trustee Association Board of Trustees, a national cultural organization geared toward developing policy and strategic planning for museum members across the United States.

In the early 1980s, Alan Cameros and his wife took a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they bought a piece of pueblo pottery. This became their first purchase and foray into what has become a substantial collection of Southwestern pottery. In subsequent years, Alan and Nancy Cameros have made annual trips to Santa Fe, seeking more native art and developing discerning eyes for identifying exceptional crafts designs.

Adamant advocates of community involvement, Alan and Nancy Cameros have worked together with several organizations in this field. Alan and Nancy Cameros directed the Associates, a community support group for the University of Rochester. They also chaired the Nathaniel Rochester Society, a support group for the Rochester Institute of Technology. In 2004, Alan Cameros and his wife received the Whitaker Medallion in honor of their contributions to the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Utilizing his skills as an attorney and business executive, Alan Cameros represented the Museum Trustee Association on Capitol Hill, advocating for governance issues relating to the museum world. Alan Cameros has also held leadership positions on a number of national boards and councils relating to the arts and governmental issues.


Alan Cameros's Companies

Alan Cameros's Publications

  • The Nancy and Alan Cameros Collection of Southwest Pottery
    , Alan Cameros' Blog on Bigsight
    June, 2011
    Recognized by Arts and Antiques Magazine as one of the finest private collections of Native American pottery and glass art, the Nancy and Alan Cameros Collection of Southwest Pottery consists of more than 200 pieces crafted over a period of 125 years. The collection traces its roots to Nancy and Alan Cameros’ visit to New Mexico more than a quarter of a century ago when the seasoned art patrons first encountered the unique confluence of cultures in northern New Mexico. Although Native American tribes on the East Coast and in Mexico also boast long traditions in pottery, the Cameros Collection focuses on pieces from the area of New Mexico that stretches north to south from Taos to Albuquerque and west into Arizona. During their frequent trips to the American Southwest, Nancy and Alan Cameros acquired Pueblo, Hopi, Hopi-Tewa, and Navajo pieces to expand the breadth of their carefully curated collection.

    With pieces from 12 of the 20 pueblos in the region, including the Acoma, Santa Clara, and Zuni, the Cameros Collection showcases the stunning variety and history of pueblo pottery. Artisans from each pueblo have historically sourced local materials for their work, such as the distinctive white clay that characterizes Acoma pottery. Pueblo pottery includes the works of prominent pottery families, whose diverse traditions are passed down across generations.

    In 2010, Nancy and Alan Cameros loaned seven pots to the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, where
    Alan Cameros     has served as a trustee for more than 30 years. The MAG selection, which came from the Santa Clara Pueblo, represented the blackware pots made famous by Tafoya family matriarch Sara Fina Tafoya and her descendants, including contemporary potters Nathan and Nancy Youngblood. Today, the Cameros Collection includes commissioned pieces from some of the most renowned potters in the craft, serving as a testament to Nancy and Alan Cameros’ dedication to collecting pottery pieces that represent the best in style, craft, and history.