Dennis Arviso – Navajo (Diné) My name is Dennis Arviso, from Ft Wingate, N.M. I have lived here all my life. I grew up tending to livestock, sheep, cattle, and horses; so I'm a real cowboy, I lived the ranch lifestyle since I was a child. I am one of the very few talented, handicapped artists who paint inspiring realistic works of Navajo traditional & cultural art. I am well renowned across the southwest area. I was involved in an alcoholrelated car accident in 1986, which left me paralyzed from the neck down. As with many paralyzed individuals, I spent most of my time thinking of ways to improve on myself with and cope with my longterm disability. I became paralyzed during the height of my rodeo career. I was a team roper, a heeler; I won and placed at many rodeos across the Navajo Nation. I began my art by one day watching my nieces and nephews painting with watercolors. I started by holding the brush in my mouth; I then had my nephews put up a homemade easel consisting of a few modifications to make it easier for me to paint. Thus began my career. I began by painting small animals, people, landscapes, etc. My greatest interest is the detail that I put into each painting. Some people that view my work say, "It's almost as if he took a photograph in his mind and laid in on canvas.” I have inspired many other artists, some with great names, as well as others who are just starting out. I am a member of the Indian Arts and Crafts Association.
Transcript
Dennis Arviso – Navajo (Diné)
My name is Dennis Arviso, from Ft Wingate, N.M. I have lived here all my life. I grew up tending to livestock, sheep, cattle, and horses; so I'm a real cowboy, I lived the ranch lifestyle since I was a child. I am one of the very few talented, handicapped artists who paint inspiring realistic works of Navajo traditional & cultural art. I am well renowned across the southwest area. I was involved in an alcohol-‐related car accident in 1986, which left me paralyzed from the neck down. As with many paralyzed individuals, I spent most of my time thinking of ways to improve on myself with and cope with my long-‐term disability. I became paralyzed during the height of my rodeo career. I was a team roper, a heeler; I won and placed at many rodeos across the Navajo Nation.
I began my art by one day watching my nieces and nephews painting with watercolors. I started by holding the brush in my mouth; I then had my nephews put up a homemade easel consisting of a few modifications to make it easier for me to paint. Thus began my career. I began by painting small animals, people, landscapes, etc. My greatest interest is the detail that I put into each painting. Some people that view my work say, "It's almost as if he took a photograph in his mind and laid in on canvas.” I have inspired many other artists, some with great names, as well as others who are just starting out. I am a member of the Indian Arts and Crafts Association.
I have also been able to inspire the youth of our communities by speaking at schools, highlighting my disability and the unique way in which I produce my artwork. I might be an ordinary disabled man to some, without any future, but looking at my paintings has brought inspiration to many and shows how we can overcome many obstacles. I also have a place on the Circle of Light mural at the Ellis Tanner Trading Company. Mr. Tanner was the person who really believed in me and has been and still is, a great force to my success as an artist. When I first started out, I was limited to just original paintings.
Today I have all-‐occasion cards, and prints available in limited editions -‐ some signed and numbered. I still spend a great deal of time perfecting my craft. I was featured in the local newspaper, The Gallup Independent, in a biographical article in 1992. This article told of my life before the accident, which explained how I became an artist with a disability and also highlighted my unique way of painting. My story has also appeared in other newspapers across the United States. I have excelled in the art world by winning numerous awards and ribbons for my artwork, so as I move forward, I am also looking for other areas in which to excel. I have conquered my disability and made a name for myself throughout the Navajo Nation, the Four Corners area and Nationally. Though I am not as well known as I might wish to be at this time, my art is recognized, and will be remembered by many who are familiar with me. I have given demonstrations and made presentations at local public schools on the Navajo reservation, BIA schools and U.S. Government-‐run boarding schools. Now I attend Indian/Western Art Shows across the United States and want to be an inspiration to other people with disabilities.
I have been inspired by many local artists including; Teddy Draper, Ervin Toddy, Marvin Toddy, Calvin Toddy and my cousins Will Paul Arviso, Ernest Franklin and Willie Murphy among them. My art can be found at local galleries and at Ellis Tanner Trading Company. For more information, you can contact me by email at [email protected] or [email protected]. I also have a Facebook profile at www.facebook.com/arvisooriginals.
