Micheal Two Bulls Completes Large-scale Mural

MNI LUZAHAN OTUNWAHE—Micheal Two Bulls (Oglala Lakota) recently completed a large-scale mural at the soon-to-open location of Racing Magpie at 801 East Saint Andrew Street. The mural, completed on a roughly twenty-five foot high by forty foot long wall on one of Racing Magpie’s buildings, features a variety of striking imagery created around Oceti Sakowin community including text and large images of a timpsila braid, a DNA strand, Lakota geometric designs, and buffalo skulls. Two Bulls was commissioned by Racing Magpie through a Residencies for Recovery grant from the South Dakota Arts Council using CARES Act funding intended to seed community recovery through the arts.

 

Two community input sessions—one in person with pandemic protocols in an outdoor setting, and one online—provided deep and thoughtful conversation with Oceti Sakowin community members around the mural’s themes and direction. Two Bulls then synthesized community input and came up with the design of the mural, which echoes both the community’s thoughts and Two Bulls’ own very recognizable artistic style. “I’m deeply humbled and grateful to Oceti Sakowin relatives for their time and care and contribution to this mural; it is offered for your eyes and your reception.” Dedicated to engage and inspire others in the creation of the mural, Two Bulls invited collaboration with his cousins, members of Pejuta Press, Douglas Two Bulls and Reed Two Bulls, and Lakota artist and relative Tusweca Taoniye Mendoza to prepare, paint, and finish the mural.

 

Community members and visitors are encouraged to come to Racing Magpie to view and experience the amazing mural. Micheal Two Bulls is an Oglala Lakota artist from Mni Luzahan Otunwahe. He is also a member of the musical group The Wake Singers and a printer at Pejuta Press.

 

Racing Magpie is in the final stages of a major renovation and expect to open their new space to the public in the coming weeks. Racing Magpie is a nonprofit organization that features a contemporary Native gallery, affordable artist studios, and active community programming. Their mission is to support creative and innovative projects by Native artists; they believe this support builds bridges, strengthens communities and creates opportunities for social and racial divides to shrink.

 

South Dakota Arts Council support is provided with funds from the State of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Residencies for Recovery grants allow organizations to employ artists to help develop and implement creative planning to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, prepare for future disasters, and build resilient arts communities.

 

(For more information contact Peter Strong at 605-646-3321 or peter@racingmagpie.org)

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