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Nora Yazzie
Navajo

Nora Yazzie is a full blooded Native American Indian. She was born in 1954 into the Navajo Nation. Nora is a Dine from the Four Corners region of the Navajo Reservation. She was raised in Farmington , New Mexico and attended a Navajo Methodist Mission High School where she was first introduced to the arts through clay, drama, and creative writing. Encouraged by her teachers to explore each medium, she entered her first local high school art show and placed first in the clay division. Thus, began her journey into the art world.

Nora’s grandparents were influential figures in her work. As a child she was fortunate to have observed and participated in blessing ceremonies performed by her grandfather who was a sandpainter. Her grandmother, a renown rug weaver and midwife, personified earth mother as she helped bring new life into the world. These important observations served as seeds planted for cultivation of her creative imagination.

Traditional art was always a part of her environment. Because there is no word for “art” in the Navajo language, she never questioned the validity of the creative process in a western European sense. Creating is a way of life for her and her family. Colors come from the earth so land is a natural and essential part of the process. In her case, her mother and grandmother taught her to observe land formations where rug designs come from. Land formations combined with their natural colors are her sole derivatives and foundation when designing a piece. Eventually she hopes to develop and create monumental sculpture and bronze. Constant growth and stretching ideas into three-dimensional form is an exciting path for her right now.

Awards:

-1999 New Mexico State Fair 2nd Place
-1989 Totah Festival 2nd Place
-1988 Totah Festival 1st Place
-Others too numerous to mention

Publications:

-Indian Artist Magazine December 1998 edition

Timmy Yazzie
Navajo/San Felipe

Timmy Yazzie is a full blooded Native American, half San Felipe and half Navajo. He was born in 1968. He was inspired to make jewelry by his friends Chalmers Day and Jimmy Harrison, who assisted Timmy in mastering his jewelry making skills. He has been making jewelry since 1990.

Timmy specializes in making all types of jewelry. He turns raw silver into fabulous earrings, necklaces, pendants, bolo ties, concho belts, bracelets, and rings. He uses a wide variety of stones on his jewelry. Timmy draws designs on his raw silver freehand, cuts his design out with a coping saw, sauters top plate to the bottom plate, oxidizes, cuts stones out manually, shapes stones and polishes his finished piece. He signs his jewelry as: TY with the Y beneath the letter T.

Timmy is related to the following artists: Dora Yazzie (mother), the late Joe Yazzie, and the late Santana Chavez.

Awards: None to date

Marcella Yepa
Jemez

Marcella Yepa, member of the Sun Clan, is a full blooded Native American Indian. She was born into the Jemez Pueblo in 1964. Marcella began working with clay at the age of 19. She was inspired to learn the art of working with clay from her aunt, Alvina Yepa. Alvina shared with Marcella all the fundamentals of hand coiling traditional pottery. She also taught her which hills provided the best clay to work with and special techniques to construct her art. The lucrative aspect also inspired Marcella to become an artisan. However, establishing her own unique style of art gave her a feeling of self worth.

Marcella specializes in hand coiled contemporary swirl and melon styled pottery. She gathers her clay and other natural pigments within the Jemez Pueblo. She soaks the clay, grinds it to a powder form, cleans the clay, hand mixes, hand coils, shapes, carves the pottery, polishes her pottery with a stone, and fires her pottery outdoors with cedar chips. She hand coils many shapes and sizes of pottery like wedding vases, ollas, and traditional shapes. She signs her pottery as: M. Yepa, Jemez, or Marcella Yepa, Jemez. She is related to the following artists: Emma Yepa (cousin), and Lawrence Yepa.

Awards:

-None to date

Publications:

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies
-1996 Edition of New Mexico Magazine

Maxine T. Yepa
Jemez/Walatowa

Maxine T. Yepa is a full blooded Native American Indian. She is a member of the Oak Clan. Maxine was born in 1970, she is half Jemez Pueblo and half Walatowa Indian. Maxine developed an interest in hand coiling pottery at the age of 15. Her grandmother, Anasita Chinana taught her all the traditional fundamentals of working with clay art. The lucrative aspect of the business was also incentive for her to become an artisan.

Maxine specializes in handmade traditional and contemporary styled Jemez pottery. She gathers her all of her natural raw materials from within the Jemez Pueblo. She hand cleans, mixes, hand coils, shapes, sands, paints, and fires her own pottery. On her contemporary styles she hand carves melons ribs or swirls on each piece to add some flare to her work. Finally, Maxine stone polishes her pottery. She has signed her pottery as Maxine Andrews, Jemez/Walatowa, but now she signs it as Maxine Yepa Walatowa/Jemez.

Maxine is related to the following artisans: Christine Tosa (mother), Jennifer Andrew (sister), Pauline Romero (aunt), and Donald Chinana (cousin).

Awards:

None to date

Publications:

-Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies

Nolan Youvella Nampeyo
Hopi

Nolan Youvella Nampeyo, “Sunman”, member of the Corn Clan, was born into the Hopi/Tewa Reservation in 1970. He is the great grandson of Nampeyo, the woman who is the most highly honored Hopi pottery artist. The Nampeyo family is credited for reviving and expanding the beautiful ancient style of pottery called Sikyatki. Nolan began experimenting with pottery making at the age of 11. He learned the art of traditional pottery making from his famous Mother, Iris Youvella Nampeyo. Iris taught Nolan all the fundamentals of coiling and painting all the old ancient styles of pottery which is sought after from many collector’s around the world.

Nolan specializes in appliqueed buffware jars (pottery) which are all made from Mother Earth. He has his own unique style of contemporary pottery. All of the materials that he uses are dug up from the area surrounding his home. Nolan is a very creative artist and is currently experimenting with oil paintings to expand his artistic abilities. Nolan signs his pottery as: Nolan Nampeyo.

Nolan is related to many famous potters among them are: The famous “Nampeyo” (grandmother). Fannie Nampeyo (grandmother), Tom Polacca (uncle), and Clinton Polacca (cousin).

Awards:

-None to date

Publications:

-Hopi-Tewa Pottery 500 Artist Biographies
-Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery