For the last 48 years, The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School has hosted one of the country’s most unique art exhibitions—a celebration of Native art actually held on Native land, on the grassy plains of the Pine Ridge Reservation. On June 5, The Heritage Center will once again open the Red Cloud Indian Art Show to visitors from the local community and from across the country. Open seven days a week until August 14, the show will feature over 200 new works by more than 80 Native artists from tribes throughout North America.

“Though the Show is nearly 50 years old, it still represents a rare opportunity to see Native art in a Native context. Historically, Native art has been taken from tribal communities and reservations and shown in museums far removed from the people it was created by,” says Mary Maxon, The Heritage Center’s director. “This show was created to do something different: to showcase the extraordinary talent of Lakota and other Native artists right here on the Pine Ridge Reservation. And we’re still committed to that idea.”

This year’s show includes a diverse group of pieces, from traditional beadwork to contemporary paintings, photographs, and mixed-media collages. Over the last several months, The Heritage Center’s curator Ashley Pourier (Oglala Lakota) has been focused on connecting with artists and tracking their submissions. As the entries have rolled in, Ashley—who is also a Red Cloud graduate—has been thrilled to see the show’s composition take shape.

“The collection of pieces that make up this year’s show captures Native art today,” says Pourier. “...works have a modern perspective of Native America today which reflect on our own identity, history or current events happening within our own communities. Art is a way to express emotions—whether it’s frustration or humor or sadness—that give a piece a voice. My hope for the art show is to provide an educational and inspiring experience for visitors not familiar with contemporary Native art.”