RAPID CITY, SD – The Rapid City Arts Council is thrilled to announce the upcoming Emerging Visual Artist exhibition, “WICOWOYAKE ITOWAPI UN OYAKAPI Photographic Storytelling,” featuring artwork from the Boys and Girls Club of Rosebud and Five Corners Collective. The exhibition will debut with an opening reception on May 3 at the Bruce H. Lien Cultural Café & Gallery located at the Dahl Arts Center. One of the highlights of the exhibition is a stunning 31-foot-long and 10-foot-wide visual representation of a Lakota kinship circle embracing technology.
For the past six years, Lakota youth from the Boys & Girls Club of Rosebud have collaborated with teaching artists from Five Corners Collective to share their stories through photography. These captivating artworks offer a unique perspective into their lives and cultural heritage. Through innovative portraiture, the young artists invite viewers to delve into their identities and values. The exhibition explores themes of the celestial realm, drawing from the ancient wisdom of Lakota Star Knowledge, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of earthly and cosmic elements, shaping traditional beliefs and guiding meaningful lives. This showcase reimagines storytelling, transforming narratives into catalysts for profound societal reflection and transformation.
Five Corners Collective, a non-profit teaching and exhibition collective, was founded by graduates of the Hartford Art School’s MFA program in photography. Their mission is to impart the love of photography and visual storytelling to others. The Collective partners with community groups to teach photography skills, empowering individuals to tell their own stories. They then collaborate with these groups to create opportunities for members to share their stories locally and beyond.
The Boys & Girls Club of Rosebud plays a vital role in the community, providing mentoring, sports, scouting, academic tutoring, and arts education to children and teens residing on the Rosebud Reservation. The club helps young individuals develop essential skills, resilience, and self-confidence, nurturing them to become healthy young adults. Annually, the club serves around 300 youth aged five to eighteen.
Established in 2013, the Emerging Visual Artists (EVA) Program by the Rapid City Arts Council supports visual artists venturing into gallery exhibitions for the first time. The RCAC’s education staff guides artists through the entire process, from selecting works to receiving critiques, pricing, writing statements, and creating and promoting exhibits. The program accepts EVA proposals from individual artists and groups throughout the year and is currently accepting applications for the 2025 exhibition calendar.
The Emerging Visual Artists program is a rotating exhibition proudly supported by local donors and presented by the Rapid City Arts Council. For more information or to apply as a participating artist, please visit rapidcityartscouncil.org or contact education@thedahl.org.
