It was Anthropologist Spencer MacCallum who wandered into the New Mexico junk store that day in 1976 and while browsing around discovered three wonderful handmade ceramic pots. At first, Spencer thought they might be ancient pots from the region but discovered, after questioning the store owner, that they had recently been made. Spencer MacCallam purchased the three pots and returned to his home in California. With his curiosity aroused, Spencer began a quest to discover who had made these wonderful ceramic vessels or "ollas" as they are called. Spencer soon made another trip to New Mexico and with photographs in hand, began o question anyone who might lead him to the potter. After much investigation he found himself in a small Mexican village called 'Mata Ortiz' and at the home of a man named Juan Quezada. It turned out that Juan Quezada had made the pottery after finding old 'shards' of ancient pottery and after experimenting with the abundant clays found in the area. Spencer's meeting with Juan Quezada set off a chain of events which has been called "The Miracle of Mata Ortiz". Eventually the pottery pieces became recognized as an art form, much like the indian pottery of Arizona and New Mexico. With this recognition, came a commercial demand with the associated collector's value. Museums and collectors would soon compete to purchase these new art forms. Juan Quezada would continue to produce and market pots of high quality and at the same time began to teach others in his village to do the same. Almost the entire village has now adopted this new "industry" , thus transforming the community from impoverishment to a stable economy.

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