From the Artist - Peterson Yazzie:
I started this room with a splash of paint based on the idea of a new season. I am amazed by the beauty of nature and how life thrives from season to season. The beautiful smell of rain during the monsoon, the change in sunlight patterns in autumn and the changing colors of leaves all remind me of different times in my life. The return of song birds in spring is a gentle reminder of a new season. I appreciate nature's painting across the sky at sunrise and sunset. I enjoy watching stars shoot across the night sky as much as I did when I was little, I continue to be amazed. Spring is a new beginning for many in nature, including butterflies. Butterflies are speckles of beauty that develop through several stages, each are very unique. We all have stages in life and each new season builds on the last. As an artist, I have been blessed with many wonderful stages since my first art class in high school. I have been fortunate to find encouragement from various individuals that have left lasting impressions, I am forever thankful. The room is a visual melody of beauty through color and motion. I have included the hand prints of my children, Peyton, Tatum and Orion. This early part of their childhood can be traced to the size of their hand prints. They have many more beautiful seasons ahead! I am happy to share this opportunity with my little ones. I want to thank the Institute of American Indian Arts for surrounding me with such caring and talented people, I am honored to be and IAIA Alumni. I appreciate the Nativo Lodge for the memorable opportunity on this project, I enjoyed the hospitality. I am very fortunate to be teaching with the wonderful faculty at Northland Pioneer College, we too have many wonderful seasons ahead! Thank you.

About Peterson Yazzie:
Peterson Yazzie is a Contemporary Navajo artist/educator from Greasewood Springs, Arizona. Yazzie has won numerous awards from prestigious art shows such as Heard Museum, Santa Fe Indian Market, Arizona State Museum, Museum of Northern Arizona, among others. The Navajo culture and personal experiences is the foundation of Yazzie's work. Yazzie's painting literally starts with a splash or paint sparked by an idea, the rest is completed with intuition and experimentation. Yazzie also carves what he has coined as "Yei wall sculptures." These wall sculptures are carved, painted and adorned with natural exotic (legal) feathers. Yazzie received an Associates of Fine Arts (2002) and Bachelors of Fine Arts degree (2004) from the Institute of American Indian Arts, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Peterson furthered his education by earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2008. Peterson is currently the Two-Dimensional Art instructor at Northland Pioneer College in Holbrook, Arizona, since Fall 2011."My art is informed by my personal experiences and surroundings, through process and experimentation. I approach each piece with an open mind, I find art more exciting if it guides me. Life is filled with positive and negative energies; I find creativity is my key to maintaining balance. Art continues to connect me with amazing people throughout the world, I am forever thankful."