RAPID CITY, S.D. – The fourth annual Black Hills Indian Artist Market was held at the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City today. The event showcased a variety of art from award-winning artists such as Martin Red Bear, Jim Yellowhawk, Dwayne Wilcox, Gayla White Magpie, Frank Hawk, and many others. Music from The Wake Singers, Miller Lite Orchestra, Prairie Dust, and Light/Hearted filled visitors with energy.
The Black Hills Indian Artist Market had a unique start. Coordinator Duwana Two Bulls had this to say about the event.
“We did start the Black Hills Indian Artist Market in 2021 to help the artists recover from covid,” said Two Bulls, “There weren’t a lot of outlets for them to present their art directly to the buyer. Most of the places in town do wholesale or consignment, so we wanted to give them the opportunity to talk directly to the buyer.”
Two Bulls tries to organize the market at least twice a year – one in the spring and one in the winter. She also holds smaller markets at The Racing Magpie in Rapid City whenever she’s able to do so. Today’s market featured other special events such as a fashion show, live painting, and an art showcase from students at Red Cloud High School in Pine Ridge, SD.
Sounds from the drum circle set the mood, helping everyone at The Dahl feel a strong sense of community with one another. Jennifer White, an Arikara artist based out of Sioux Falls and resident of Yankton, SD, was one of the featured artists from today’s expo.
“There’s not a single artist in there that doesn’t come with passion and love and absolute want and need to share our culture with this beautiful area,” said White, “I’m actually out of Yankton, South Dakota, but my tribe is out of North Dakota, so I’m definitely a fish out of water here, but it’s good water.”
Organizers say that the event was a success. The next Black Hills Indian Artist Market is expected to be held around Valentine’s Day at The Racing Magpie in Rapid City. For more information on the market, click here to head to their facebook page.