A black and white photograph of the exterior of the Oglala Lakota Artspace building in Kyle, SD. The focal point of the photo is a steel sculpture outside of the building that symbolizes Lakota Star Knowledge.

Rolling Rez Arts

Rolling Rez Arts is a state-of-the-art mobile arts space, business training center and bank in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which helps ensure that people all acoss the reservation can access essential services and connect with the community.

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PROGRAMS > rolling rez arts

Rolling Rez Arts Concept

Rolling Rez Arts was created in response to a market study by First Peoples Fund, Artspace, Colorado State University, Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC), and Northwest Area Foundation. The study explored challenges and successes experienced by Lakota artists on Pine Ridge and found that over half of Native households on Pine Ridge have home-based businesses, with 79% in the arts. It also found that 61% of emerging artists earn less than $10,000 per year, but participation in workshops and training, like those offered by the mobile art unit, can significantly increase their income.

A film camera in the foreground and Rolling Rez Arts bus in the backgroundA group of people working on a film on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation at the Rolling Rez Arts Film Camp.A child on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation looking through a camera standing in front of the Rolling Rez Arts Bus.A Native artist holding a painting standing in front of the Rolling Rez Arts BusA large group of students on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation standing in front of the Rolling Rez Arts bus.People gathered under a tent at a pop-up art class in front of the Rolling Rez Arts busA group of teenagers from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation sitting inside the Rolling Rez Arts Bus in a film classA Native woman from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation sewing a star quilt in a Rolling Rez Arts class.Rolling Rez Arts bus in a blooming yellow field on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Support for Rolling Rez Arts

Rolling Rez Arts was made possible through grants from ArtPlace America, The Bush Foundation, Northwest Area Foundation, and USDA Rural Development, who partnered with First Peoples Fund to plan and conduct community outreach, and research. Artspace also received additional funding from The Ford Foundation.

Questions About rolling rez arts?

For any inquiries about the Rolling Rez Arts Program, reach out to us at programs@firstpeoplesfund.org

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Photograph of the Oglala Lakota Artspace with the Lakota Star Knowledge sculpture in the foreground and the OLA building in the background.

Oglala Lakota Artspace

The Oglala Lakota Artspace is the first community arts facility on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Kyle, South Dakota. The 8,500 square-foot space is dedicated and available to the large community of artists and culture bearers who live there.

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Wicahpi Olowan Music Program

This vibrant music program aims to create fresh avenues through music for Oglala Lakota youth in the area. The program has initiated various music education activities encompassing a range of genres, such as hip-hop, rock, folk, and traditional Oglala Lakota music.

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A portrait of William Underbaggage (Oglala Lakota) standing in front of a chalk board.

Artist-In-Residency Program

The Artist-in-Residence Program is designed to support Oglala Lakota culture bearers and artists working in the continuum of Lakota art, historically, traditionally, and contemporarily, to develop their practice and build collaborations with local artists and the community.

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