Marty Two Bulls Jr. named SURF 2024 Artist in Residence

LEAD – Marty Two Bulls Jr. is the 2024 Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) Artist in Residence (AiR). Two Bulls is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and an artist and educator based in Rapid City, SD. 

Two Bulls comes from a family of diverse artists. His first art instructor was his father, Marty Two Bulls Sr., an accomplished artist and cartoonist. Two Bulls grew up in his father’s studio where he learned the fundamentals of sculpture, illustration, and graphic design. Two Bulls eventually went on to study printmaking and ceramics at The Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Following graduation in 2011, he spent several years in Santa Fe developing his art practice and working in art galleries alongside contemporary artists from around the world. Today, Two Bulls is a fulltime faculty member at Oglala Lakota College where he teaches and runs a graphic arts program he founded at the college.

Two Bulls draws from multiple disciplines in his own work, including painting, ceramic, printmaking, and sculptural techniques that yield unique assemblages of mixed media art. Two Bulls says his curiosity about the science happening at SURF drew him to apply for the program. 

“It is interesting to see the land that SURF now occupies being transformed from what was previously a mineral extraction site to a research facility where knowledge is extracted. While mining does not occur at SURF today, it is part of the legacy of Homestake at this site, and I think this is an interesting paradigm shift worth exploring,” Two Bulls said.

Two Bulls hopes his art can help individuals and communities grapple with the complex, and sometimes controversial history in this part of the world. 

“Open pit mining and mineral extraction was a major wound, not just to the land, but also, to my people,” Two Bulls said. “Our history is not necessarily an easy conversation to have in the Black Hills, but ignoring it is not the best way forward. I do come from a population whose version of history hasn’t really been told. Art has the potential to express complex ideas in very short amounts of time. My goal as an artist, and also as an educator, is to be a good communicator and teacher who can express complex ideas and help people understand some of this difficult history.”

Besides delving into the history of the area, Two Bulls says he is also looking forward to relationship building and collaboration with individuals at SURF. 

“I’m looking forward to creating relationships and connecting communities. SURF reminds me a little bit of Los Alamos in New Mexico, a town full of brilliant people with advanced degrees who come from different parts of the world. I think the sharing of knowledge in this setting is immensely valuable, especially for communities that are marginalized,” Two Bulls said. “It is hard to anticipate the power and potential of these connections. I think about bringing Lakota children to a place like SURF to learn about the science happening there. That’s something that really excites me. So, I hope to be a catalyst and a connector who can bring more voices and perspectives into this conversation.”  

Creativity is vital for scientific advancement, and the creative input the SURF AiR program brings to the facility is an important part of SURF’s mission to advance world class science and inspire learning across generations. 

Two Bulls will complete his residency at SURF during the summer of 2024, visiting the surface and underground spaces while exploring the scientific concepts being researched. These experiences will inspire his work, which is set to be presented in a public exhibition and outreach presentation in the fall of 2024.

Gina Gibson, AiR program coordinator at SURF and a professor of digital communication at Black Hills State University, is looking forward to seeing what Two Bulls will create during this residency. 

“Conversation with Marty Two Bulls Jr. reveals genuine curiosity and thoughtfulness. I am very excited to see the artwork and relationships that will be built during this year’s AiR program,” Gibson said.

The SURF AiR program began in 2019 to invite artists to create work inspired by America’s Underground Science Laboratory. The SURF AiR program leverages the unique characteristics of SURF and the science experiments it hosts to create awareness and encourage interdisciplinary work. This residency is modeled after various programs offered by government, science, and industry including the National Park Service, CERN, and Fermilab.

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