Dorothy Torivio was born at Acoma Pueblo in 1946. She grew up learning to make pottery by watching her mother, Mary Valley, make it. After Dorothy married Peter Concho, her mother-in-law, Lolita Concho, took Dorothy under her wing and completed her education in the traditional art.

Dorothy made traditional polychrome and black-on-white bowls, jars, seed pots, deer, owls and other figures. Dorothy is most known for her innovative seed pots, usually painted with eyedazzling geometric designs. They won her many awards, beginning with a Best of Division, Traditional Pottery at the 1984 SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market. During that same Indian Market Dorothy was also awarded a 1st Place ribbon in the Traditional Jars category and a 2nd Place ribbon in the Seed Pots category.

In 1997 Dorothy and her pottery were included in Susan Peterson's exhibition at The National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC.

Dorothy passed her knowledge on to her niece, Sandra Victorino, well before she passed in 2011.

In Andrea's words: "Dorothy Torivio was one of my favorite potters. My most vivid memory of Dorothy occurred in 1997. In the early 1990s, Susan Peterson, a renowned pottery expert, an avid writer, and a skilled potter in her own right, was preparing a hardbound, coffee-table-sized catalog for the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The newly-founded Museum was also preparing an exhibition of the pottery included in Susan's book. Several years before, Dorothy was asked to make three spectacular pieces to be included in both the book and exhibit. Unfortunately, Dorothy failed to make them. Just weeks before Susan's publishing deadline, she asked me to loan the museum the two large pieces I had in the gallery inventory. Pottery by American Indian Women: the Legacy of Generations is the book and the two pieces are on pages 203 and 204.

"When the show finally opened in 1997, a very large celebration was planned. All of the living potters, the donors of pottery to the exhibition, and the principal donors to the museum were invited to Washington DC to celebrate this huge undertaking and beautiful show. As you may recall, many years ago quite a lot of artsy television programs ended with 'This program was brought to you by a grant from Mobil Oil.'' Mobil financed the show, invited all of the potters to DC and produced the opening gala. It was a wonderful experience for the potters because Lou Noto, the then CEO of Mobil, arranged a full-day tour of Washington and the next day included tickets to a Washington Redskins (now Commanders) game. Lou made sure the potters were treated like visiting royalty. The night of the private opening, a gala dinner was held at the museum.

"The museum is a gorgeous building which was built in the late 1800s as a Masonic Temple just several blocks from the White House. The area had fallen into disrepair and had become the eyesore of Washington. The founder of the museum, Mrs. Wilhelmina Holladay, had the foresight to save the beautiful building in the 1980s, completely refurbish it and turn it into something great. The building itself is a symphony of crystal chandeliers and marble the color of Creamsicle ice cream bars. The vast main lobby, with its two massive marble staircases on either side, was the area used to seat over 200 people for the opening night dinner. Since Dorothy was one of the contributing artists, and because I was the person who loaned two of her pieces to the show, we were seated together. It was by far the most gorgeous dining decor that I had ever seen. The round tables were draped with an eggplant-colored tablecloth, covered with a sheer Creamsicle-colored chiffon that shimmered in the candlelight of the room. The centerpiece was a large, flat container filled with small cactus plants, interspersed with apricot-colored roses. There were about six gold-rimmed glasses, gold chargers, white plates with gold edges and enough silverware, that I bet, if it was laid out end-to-end, could have stretched all the way around the Earth. When it was time to take our seats, Dorothy and I stopped and stared in amazement at this overwhelmingly beautiful scene. The massive room, the orange marble, the dark purple and orange, the glittery fabrics, the touches of gold and the candlelight left us both speechless. Considering I grew up in a housing project in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Dorothy lived in the middle of nowhere in an adobe house in Acoma Pueblo, this was a totally new experience for both of us. We decided that we would pretend that we were fairy tale princesses visiting a king.

"Dorothy seemed to be overwhelmed by all of the glasses and silverware - and so was I. We decided to watch others at the table and, hopefully, the two new princesses could learn. When dinner was finally served, a very handsome young man came and poured us some wine. Dorothy turned to me and said, 'I don’t like wine. Do I have to drink it? I would rather have a beer'. Also, she kept saying 'Who is that guy that is standing behind me?' We finally figured out he was a footman. It was a surprise to see so many footmen at this dinner, and it was the first time I had ever been to an occasion where there was even one. Dorothy kept staring at her wine, wondering if she had to actually drink it. We had a long discussion about who could muster the courage to ask 'our footman' for a beer. I lost, so I turned to this handsome young man and said 'Dorothy would like to have a beer.'' Well, the color quickly drained out of his face. He rushed off towards the room where they were preparing the rest of the meal. We laughed and laughed because we had put a monkey wrench into this well-rehearsed performance. We waited a while, and then we waited a little longer and finally a beer in a beautiful glass arrived for Dorothy. I can only imagine that someone ran full speed to the nearest liquor store to purchase a few bottles just for her. It was a wonderful evening and a beautiful exhibition. Dorothy and I had so much fun laughing about our naïveté, and our inexperience with such luxury. At that point, it became apparent that we were going to be best buddies forever.

"The show traveled to another museum and we were invited to the opening there as well. While we enjoyed the new venue, nothing could have surpassed that incredible experience we had in Washington DC. When the two pots I loaned for the exhibit were finally returned, magically, they found their way to a shelf in my home. Every single time I see them I think of that wonderful evening Dorothy and I spent together playing princess.

"Dorothy passed away in 2011. Derek and I were the only two invited non-natives at her funeral, and we think of her often with much fondness. Her work as an excellent potter, fantastic painter, and lovely person, will always be remembered."

Some Exhibits that featured pieces by Dorothy

• Home: Native People in the Southwest. Heard Museum. Phoenix, Arizona. Opened May 22, 2005
• New Directions in Southwestern Native American Pottery. Peabody Essex Museum. Salem, Massachusetts. November 16, 2001 - March 17, 2002
• The Legacy of Generations: Pottery by American Indian Women. The National Museum of Women in Arts. Washington, DC. October 9, 1997 - January 11, 1998
• The Legacy of Generations: Pottery by American Indian Women. Heard Museum. Phoenix, Arizona. February 14, 1998 - May 17, 1998
• Master Artists of the Southwest. Quintana Galleries. Portland, Oregon. September 24-26, 1993
• Fifth Annual Hollywood Premiere. Four Seasons Hotel. Los Angeles, California. November 23, 1991
• The Perfection of Southwest Pottery. Gallery 10. Scottsdale, Arizona. February 21, 1991
• Our 1990 Indian Market Week Shows. Gallery 10. Santa Fe, New Mexico. August 10-17, 1990
• New Works by Jody Folwell, Dorothy Torivio and Jacquie Stevens. Gallery 10. Scottsdale, Arizona. March 8, 1990
• The Absolute Best of Indian Market. Gallery 10. Four Seasons Hotel. Los Angeles, California. November 18-20, 1989
• Exhibition of Richard Zane Smith, Dorothy Torivio, LuAnn Tafoya and Thomas Natseway. Gallery 10. Scottsdale, Arizona. March 2-8, 1989
• Individual Statements of Style. Gallery 10. Scottsdale, Arizona. February 25, 1988
• The Best of Indian Market '87: Six Nationally Prominent Native American Artists. Four Seasons Hotel. Los Angeles, California. November 28-29, 1987
• Exhibition of Richard Zane Smith, Dorothy Torivio, Polly Folwell and Fred Myers. Gallery 10. Scottsdale, Arizona. February 5-17, 1987
• Innovators in Southwestern Native American Ceramics. Gallery 10. Scottsdale, Arizona. February 6-19, 1986
• Jewels of the Southwest. Gallery 10. Scottsdale, Arizona. December 3, 1985 - January 4, 1986
• The Pottery of Jody Folwell and Grace Medicine Flower, with "Rising Stars" including Dorothy Torivio & Richard Zane Smith, potters. Morning Star Gallery. Santa Fe, New Mexico. August 12-17, 1985

Some Awards Won by Dorothy

• 2004 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, Classification VIII - Pottery, Division A - Traditional/Native clay/hand (painted): Best of Division
• 1998 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II - Pottery, Division F - Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, all forms except jars, Category 1302 - Seed bowls (over 7" in diameter): First Place
• 1995 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II - Pottery, Division G - Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, all forms except jars, Category 1402 - Seed bowls (over 7" in diameter): Second Place
• 1994 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II - Pottery, Division G - Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, all forms except jars, Category 1402 - Seed bowls (over 7" in diameter): First Place
• 1994 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II - Pottery, Division G - Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, all forms except jars, Category 1406 -Other vases: Second Place
• 1984 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II - Pottery, Division F - Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface: Best of Division. Awarded for jar
• 1984 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II - Pottery, Division F - Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, Category 1202 - Jars, Acoma or Laguna: First Place
• 1984 Santa Fe Indian Market, Classification II - Pottery, Division F - Traditional pottery, painted designs on matte or semi-matte surface, Category 1205 - Seed bowls: Second Place
• 1984 Heard Museum Guild Native American Invitational Arts Show: Best of Pottery Award. Awarded for artwork: Large Brown Jar
• 1984 Heard Museum Guild Native American Invitational Arts Show: Judge's Choice Award - Dennis Lyons. Awarded for artwork: Small Seed Jar
• 1984 Heard Museum Guild Native American Invitational Arts Show: Judge's Choice Award - Clara Lee Tanner. Awarded for artwork: Small Seed Jar
• 1984 Heard Museum Guild Native American Invitational Arts Show, Classification II - Pottery, Division A - Traditional Construction and Firing Method: First Place. Awarded for artwork: Large Brown Jar
• 1984 Heard Museum Guild Native American Invitational Arts Show, Classification II - Pottery, Division D - Miniatures (Under 2 1/4"): First Place. Awarded for artwork: Miniature Seed Jar
• 1987 Gallup InterTribal Indian Ceremonial, Category VI - Pottery, Jar, Seed Jar: Second Place
• 1987 Gallup InterTribal Indian Ceremonial, Category VI - Pottery, Decorated, any object: First Place