It is that time of year again when the Carnegie Arts Center hosts the permanent collection from the Heritage Center at Maȟpíya Lúta (Red Cloud) Indian School. This year’s exhibit, the “Women’s Show” will be on display at the Carnegie Arts Center from August 20th through October 5th. The pieces selected for this exhibit are generally kept in storage through the year and it’s a special opportunity to have these gorgeous works gracing our gallery walls. The rarity of this exhibit is impressive. What is more impressive is that it’s not only comprised of women, but exclusively indigenous women, an experience that is a national rarity. Works in the show include oil painting, acrylic, mixed media, bead work, quilts, stained glass, sculpture, weaving, fiber art, and much more. Just a few of the nations represented here are Oglala Lakota, Iowa, Osage, Inuit of Northwest Territories, Northern Arapaho, Commanche, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, Sicangu Lakota, Dine, Choctaw, and Laguna Pueblo.
The Heritage Center has been hosting the Red Cloud Indian Art Show—the largest and longest-running Native art exhibition of its kind since the 1960s. Since inception, the Heritage Center has supported artists by purchasing original works from the show. This has resulted in one of the most incredible collections of Indigenous artworks in the nation.
Maȟpíya Lúta (Red Cloud)— Indian School was created by Chief Red Cloud. Chief Red Cloud was a great leader who fiercely defended the lands and rights of the Oglala Lakota. As the U.S. government encroached further and further on tribal sovereignty throughout the nineteenth century, Chief Red Cloud, or Maȟpíya Lúta as he is known to the Lakota, recognized that education was essential to the future survival of his people. In 1888, he joined with the Jesuits, or “black robes,” to create a school for Lakota children at the southern end of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
Over 130 years later, the organization that bears his name—Maȟpíya Lúta (Red Cloud)—continues to honor his spirit and his deep commitment to his people. By teaching Lakota history and spirituality, by actively revitalizing the endangered Lakota language, and by creating opportunity for Lakota artists, we are working to deepen understanding of Lakota heritage, culture, and values.
Maȟpíya Lúta (Red Cloud) is situated in the beautiful rolling hills of the Pine Ridge Reservation, southwest of the majestic Badlands and just north of the Nebraska border. As part of your visit, you will experience Lakota and other Native art exhibits in The Heritage Center gallery. You’ll also have the opportunity to purchase authentic Native-made goods in The Heritage Center’s gift shop—and help to provide a sustainable source of income for local Lakota artists on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
