Isaiah Norris, 9, poses for a photo in front of his paintings at the Winchester Cultural Center Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.
Monday, Dec. 18, 2023 | 2 a.m.
When Isaiah Norris was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at age 4, he took up painting to help take his mind off the doctor visits and hospital stays.
But painting became more than art therapy. It’s something Isaiah, now age 9, thrived at.
This month, his artwork is being exhibited at the Winchester Wall Gallery at the Winchester Dondero Cultural Center.
Isaiah’s art conveys courage — a trait he displays as a child living with scleroderma.
“Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and thickening in the skin and other areas of the body,” according to the National Institute of Health. Other symptoms can possibly include organ damage and fatigue.
Isaiah’s mother, Dani Truitt Norris, says this disease is difficult for Isaiah because it’s rare among children, so the only other people living with it he can connect with are adults.
“He was diagnosed when he was 4. And he was on a lot of medication, and just dealing with a lot of health issues,” Norris said. “And so we turned to art.”
As a toddler, Isaiah enjoyed drawing and coloring. After the diagnosis, he shifted to painting, which became therapy for the whole family. They are a family of artists, with Isaiah’s deceased father previously painting murals for the City of Henderson and his mother creating her own art.
Isaiah’s exhibit is titled “Sunsets & Waterfalls” The Color & Energy Around Us, and is a collection of paintings that will run at the gallery through Dec 30. The gallery is open from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and is located at 3130 McLeod Drive, near Desert Inn Road.
His work uses bold colors with some gold accents. The word “warrior” is represented throughout his art. Nature elements are also common, with the occasional surprise, such as the waterfall floating in space. Each painting is marked with his signature, a thin-lettered “ZAY.”
Isaiah says his artwork is inspired by happiness, and that he enjoys the aspect of color in his painting. Asked how it feels to see his work on the gallery walls, he says, “I just think that, like, I did something good.”
Isaiah says his biggest inspiration is his artist mother.
The Winchester Dondero Cultural Center, which is part of the Clark County Parks and Recreation department, has previously worked with other child artists.
“Working with children, I think that they have more excitement of seeing their art displayed in the hallways, whereas adults, you know, they have this vision of how their art should be displayed,” said Michelle Fuller, a cultural specialist with Clark County Parks & Recreation. “Personally, I think it’s a lot more fun to work with children because they don’t have, you know, those expectations of what their art should look like.”
Fuller is a family friend of the Norrises and has followed their art for years. She praises Isaiah’s accomplishment and sees artistic growth in his future.
The family has plans to open The Spot Gallery, which will feature their artwork along with a coffee shop. A collection of their art is online at thespotgallery.com.
“The encouragement that Isaiah gets from his family to continue his art is crucial,” Fuller says. “I also think that it’s really important that he has that foundation to be able to continue his art and not feel discouraged. If, you know, it doesn’t come out the way that he wants it to, it’s still beautiful in somebody’s eyes.”
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