Mitakuye Summer Arts 2021 is a WRAP!
It was an incredible summer of programs this year! We were thrilled to be able to return to some of our in-person programming and continue our efforts to provide online and remote art opportunities for kids.
The pandemic has changed the world and definitely gave us some increased challenges for programming. But we were happy to find creative solutions for the kids.
We traveled to schools and programs in Pine ridge and Rosebud to do Art Days with the kids! Watercolors, Oil Pastels, and Tempera were a few the mediums we experimented with. Each child got to take home their own art kit and activity booklet. We also passed out over 300 art kits to schools and communities for kids who were working remotely.
Our Black Hills Arts Academy was a beautiful reminder of the healing power of art! We went above and beyond to keep everyone safe and exceeded all CDC required protocols to create a safe and Covid-free environment for learning. We offered smaller programs this year and all students, faculty, and staff were vaccinated. On top of that we required additional negative Covid test results before any students or staff could begin the program. We also found creative ways to work distancing, hand sanitizer, and open ventilated spaces into all of our creative experiences.
We started every day with a nature walk, morning stretch, and meditation / clearing the mind – getting ready for creativity.
Verola Spider, our resident Unci, 5th generation storyteller, master quill, bead, and quilt artist, and teacher of Lakota Language and Culture started off each meal and each morning with a blessing. As always – the elders were the center of our teaching and provided a backbone in traditional knowledge that grounded our work every day.
Traditional arts included: beading, star quilts, sewing with traditionally tanned hides, moccasins, and working with sweetgrass.
Students worked with beautiful, fresh, sweetgrass provided by our dear friend Vanne Mocilac.
Traditional Hide Tanning students worked on buffalo, elk, and deer.
Visual Artists worked in 2D and 3D mediums including acrylic and water color paint, oil and soft pastels, graphite and charcoal, plaster, clay, and a special project painting on rawhide with traditional earth paints.
Filmmakers took their project to the next level with production design and visual effects!
Check out their film HERE
Our Taku Skan Skan Dance Crew worked hard!
We shot a special dance film with some of our Fancy Shawl and Traditional dancers (coming soon!)
As always we ended the program with an exhibition of dance, spoken word performances, and film – and a gallery showing and art walk for all of the traditional and visual art created during the program.
Photo’s taken by: Jennifer Jessum, Simon Joseph, Colette Crowley, Denise Bouchard, Ramsey Brown for The Mitakuye Foundation.
What a powerful experience you have created for these wonderful young people! Their art work is pretty amazing. What a fabulous community you created. These are really talented youngsters.
Thank you for your hard work and devotion. You are giving them access to the dignity and respect that they deserve.
Dr. Lo Sprague