Pinon native helps promote fellow artists at ‘Woozhchiid music, art show’

Posted by Arlyssa Becenti | Mar 24, 2016 | Arts, Life |

Special to the Times | Ravonelle Yazzie
Painter Johnson Yazzie adds more color to a collaborative painting on Friday afternoon during the Woozhchiid Art and Music Show in Window Rock.

WINDOW ROCK

When artistic Renaissance man Nolan Karras James tells a story, his animated demeanor and words paint a picture.

That picture is just as vivid and colorful as his illustrations that can be seen in the children’s book, “The Hero Twins: A Navajo-English story of the Monster Slayer.”

James, who is from Pinon, Ariz., is an accomplished artist, songwriter, silversmith, powwow dancer and guitarist and he decided to sell some of his own creations, including the children’s book “The Hero Twins” that he translated into Navajo and illustrated for author Jim Kristofic, during the Woozhchiid (which translates to March or the first cry of the eagles) Music and Art Show at the Navajo Nation Museum over the weekend.

Not only did he sell his artwork and CDs at the music and art show, but James also organized the event. After attending the 2016 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market in Phoenix, James said he saw how fellow artists were paying up to $800 for a booth just to display their work and try to make a profit.

Seeing this high price is why James decided to organize the music and art show for a significantly cheaper price for the artist.

“The whole idea is to be an outlet for people who have the ability to do art and music,” said James. “This is the anti-big money type of thing. Hopefully when they sell one piece then they already made their money back. That’s the whole idea, try to make people feel like they made money here.”