Bella Sue Martin’s lifelong love of fiber, color, and handcrafted textiles began in childhood, nurtured by her grandparents and inspired by a treasured Navajo woven blanket. While studying archaeology in college, she became increasingly drawn to the textiles and weavings she encountered, and a transformative visit to the 1976 exhibition Sacred Circles: Two Thousand Years of North American Indian Art deepened her calling to become a weaver.

Bella later earned an art degree in textiles and jewelry from California State University. Her career has included award-winning hand-dyed woven sculpture, teaching weaving at the Texas School for the Blind, and exhibiting her textiles and jewelry in galleries and museum shops across the country.

After moving to New Mexico, she worked as a weaver for Spider Woman Designs in Santa Fe and became part of the Taos Artists Co-op on Bent Street. Today, Bella creates from her home studio in Taos, inspired by textile traditions, color, and the natural beauty of the land.