NEWS :: Red Cloud Indian School

Heritage Center at Red Cloud receives first of three-year grant from South Dakota as it opens annual art show
posted on June 08, 2009

Native art on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation just got a boost of support thanks in part to a grant from the South Dakota Arts Council. The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School has received the first allocation of more than $20,000, part of a three-year, $60,000 grant that will allow the museum to continue preserving Native American art and culture.

“This grant aids in our continued work to propel Native arts into a strong and exciting future,” says Peter Strong, director of The Heritage Center. “It will be a critical part of our budget, allowing us to maintain operations during a time when the Center is undergoing significant planning for the future.”

“The historic and cultural significance of The Heritage Center’s collection represents the heritage of a vibrant community and the skills and creativity that remain a mainstay of Lakota and Native American cultures,” says Fr. Peter Klink SJ, president of Red Cloud. “The South Dakota Arts Council’s decision to invest in the preservation and continued growth of Native American art is testament to the import the work plays in the greater art world.”

The grant comes at an exciting time for The Heritage Center, as it kicked off the annual Red Cloud Indian Art Show on May 30. This year’s exhibition, now in it’s 42nd year, boasts more than 200 original pieces of artwork by Native American artists from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and elsewhere, with over 70 artists represented.

“This year’s show is unlike any other,” notes Strong. “With such an array of outstanding, groundbreaking work by artists across Indian country, we’re thrilled to have more works in the show from an increased number of artists. It’s such an honor for all of us at Red Cloud to showcase these pieces.”

As part of a special preview of the exhibition last weekend, an artist market featured local Native American artwork in a variety of mediums. Artists showcased in this year’s show were available for questions about their artwork, with all pieces available for purchase.

“This was a unique, special event for all of us,” says Henry Payer Jr., an artist whose work was selected to be published on this year’s poster promoting the exhibition. “This art show is such a great place for myself, and others, to give back to our people by sharing our culture with others, and raising awareness about the history of our people both on the Pine Ridge Reservation, and elsewhere.”

The Red Cloud Indian Art Show will run through August 9. The Heritage Center is located at 100 Mission Drive on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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