Maria Martinez, also spelled María Martínez, also called Poveka (Tewa: “Pond Lily” or “Water Pond Lily”), née Maria Antonia Montoya, (born 1887?, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, U.S. died July 20, 1980, San Ildefonso Pueblo), American artist who, with her husband, Julian Martinez, pioneered a pottery style comprising a black-on-black design with matte and glossy finishes. Together they helped revitalize Pueblo pottery and transformed typically utilitarian objects into works of art that gained international attention. Maria Montoya was born in San Ildefonso Pueblo, near Santa Fe, New Mexico. She learned pottery making by observing other potters, namely her aunt, Nicholasa Peña