An Art Show Like No Other:

The Red Cloud Indian Art Show Set to Open on June 1,

Celebrates 46 Years on the Pine Ridge Reservation

posted April 3, 2014

 

 WHAT:

 The 46th Annual
 Red Cloud Indian Art Show

 WHERE:

 The Heritage Center at
 Red Cloud Indian School
 100 Mission Drive, Pine Ridge, SD

 WHEN:

 June 1 through August 10, 2014
 (Open daily with free admission)

 

In the summer of 1969, a small art exhibition took place on the campus of Red Cloud Indian School, situated in the gentle hills of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Meant to highlight the creative skill of local Lakota artisans, the show was set up in a modest and informal gallery space and not more than a few visitors trickled through. But in the years that followed, Red Cloud staff realized they had something extraordinary on their hands—and they set out to nourish it.

Almost a half-century later, the Red Cloud Indian Art Show has grown into one of the largest and most unique Native art exhibitions in the country. The only show of its kind to be held on an Indian reservation, today it highlights work by local, Lakota artists as well as Native artists from tribes across North America. Over the years it has expanded beyond traditional Native crafts like beadwork and quillwork to include contemporary paintings, photography, sculpture and more. But according to Curator and Interim Director Mary Bordeaux (Oglala Lakota), the show’s purpose has remained the same as its very first year.

Each year, the show welcomes thousands of visitors to The Heritage Center and the Pine Ridge Reservation. This year’s show begins on June 1 and will run until August 10. Over $7000 in prizes will be awarded in 24 different categories. The show is free and open to the public seven days a week, with free daily tours offered of both The Heritage Center gallery and Red Cloud Indian School’s historic grounds.“The show was started to create opportunities for Native artists to exhibit in the Northern Plains, which is notoriously hard to access,” explains Bordeaux. “We offer emerging Native artists—many from right here on the Pine Ridge Reservation—the chance to show their work in a gallery for the first time. And I’m proud that we’ve supported so many artists as they’ve launched their professional careers in the arts.”


Discovering a New Generation of Native Artists

At only 32 years old, Oklahoma-based artist Hoka Skenandore (Oneida-Oglala Lakota-Luiseño-Chicano) took home the most coveted prize at last year’s show for Frankie Sez Relax, a vibrant portrait painted on a faced vinyl record. Originally from New Mexico, Hoka comes from a long line of Native artists. As a child, he learned to make traditional Iroquois pottery with his grandmother and watched his mother, whose family is from Pine Ridge, create handmade Lakota dolls. Those experiences led him to develop his own passion for the arts.

Hoka was still a teenager the first time he entered the Red Cloud Indian Art Show. But he says that early opportunity and support from his community gave him the confidence to build his career.

“My grandma is from Pine Ridge and we’d come to visit relatives and family members here. So to have the ability to show my artwork to my people continues to be a real gift,” he explains. “The Heritage Center has really supported the work of up-and-coming artists—and it’s been incredible to have community support from where you come from, to have your people believe in what you do.”

From his first show at Red Cloud, Hoka went on to become the third generation of his family to attend the prestigious Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He connected with a new generation of artists who are redefining the boundaries of Native American art—pushing traditional expectations, but remaining true to Native identity.

“The work I produce doesn’t have that overt Native American imagery. But throughout my upbringing, there was always an emphasis on retaining culture. My family supported my wanderings in art, but I was to be mindful and remember where we came from,” he shares. “That may not be easily seen in my work, but it’s there.”

As Native artists continue to redefine their craft, Mary Bordeaux says The Heritage Center will support the creative spirit that drives them.

“Our show is different because it doesn’t promote one set idea of what Native art really is. When you visit, you can take in the work of famed ledger artist Donald Montileaux, whose work reflects Lakota history and cultural experience. And on the same wall, you’ll see a piece by Hoka, who is inspired by street art, like murals and graffiti,” she says. “Each piece in the show is another interpretation of Native experience and perspective—and they open our eyes in a new way every year.”

Click HERE for an Artist Entry Form

All Rights Reserved, ©Red Cloud Indian School, 2014
Poster Art ©Hoka Skenadore