- Term
Luis B. Ortega
- Alternate Term
Ortega, Luis B.
Luis B. Ortega?
- Occupation/Role
artist
- Nationality/Ethnicity
Hispanic
- Date
1897-1995
- Remarks
Luis Ortega, master rawhide braider, brought California's vaquero traditions into the 20th century. Ortega's great-great-grandfather, José Francisco Ortega, arrived with the first Spanish expedition to California in 1769. The Ortegas raised cattle north of Santa Barbara for four generations, but by the time Luis was born in 1897 the family's ranch lands had been sold. Luis's father worked as a vaquero boss, and he taught Luis his ranching skills. Fernando Librado, a Chumash Indian, passed on to Luis his knowledge of how to select, prepare, and cut rawhides, as well as how to braid the hides into practical works of art. Ortega worked as a vaquero all over the West before taking up rawhide braiding as a full-time occupation in 1932. By the mid-1960s, Ortega no longer made working gear for vaqueros, but he continued to create pieces for collectors. In 1986, the National Endowment for the Arts recognized Luis Ortega as a Master Traditional Artist.
- See Also