Yes, we do! The Mimbreno pattern was originally designed by Mary Jane Colter for the ATSF Railway for use in their dining cars to the West Coast from 1936 until 1971. Using the ancient Mimbres Indian pottery as an inspiration, Ms. Colter designed many different pieces in that pattern. Syracuse China, which went out of business in 2009, was the original producer for the railroad. (It’s a really interesting story if you research Mary Colter, the ATSF Super Chief, Fred Harvey, and the Harvey Houses that were along the route.) HF Coors didn’t start producing this pattern until 2015, and only under license from BNSF Railway (which bought the ATSF railway in 1996). Other than the licensing, BNSF is not involved in the manufacture, sale, or distribution of these pieces.
Today, the Mimbres Indians are no longer around (and haven’t been since around 1150), although it’s thought that they may have been absorbed by the Pueblos. So that makes donating proceeds to the right place from our Mimbreno line rather challenging. First, the actual artwork was designed by Ms. Colter and is not an exact copy of Mimbres art (though it resembles their work). HF Coors was also not originally commissioned to design and produce these products. Instead, as an American manufacturer of ceramics, we purchased the license and brought back a popular ceramics pattern for the general public. Of course, if we were using original Native American artwork, we would pay royalties to the tribe or artist (or his/her family depending upon the agreement), just like we pay royalties on our Southwestern Mugs and our Olive Oil dishes. But because the Mimbres culture no longer exists, deciding which, if any modern Native American Tribe should receive a donation or royalty is difficult as none can really lay claim to the artwork due to it not being actual Pueblo art, and what we make was designed by Mary Colter.
So instead, we make a large donation each year that benefits Native American cultures in what was the Mimbres Culture’s region. Every Oct/Nov., there is an event called the Fred Harvey History Weekend, held at the La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, NM. This 3-day event features lectures and several fundraisers (banquet, auction, etc.) to benefit the New Mexico Historical Museum, which does extensive work for the Native American cultures throughout New Mexico and the American Southwest. At the banquet, we donate a unique piece to each guest, plus we donate more rare HF Coors pieces for the auction. Over the past several years, HF Coors pieces have raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Museum and their outstanding work.
Mon–Sat: 9 AM – 5 PM
