Thirteenth Annual Native POP Art Market celebrates Indigenous creativity

Artwork by Gene Swallow, Winner of the Publicity Award for Native POP 2025. (Photo by Marnie Cook)

RAPID CITY – It turned out to be a hot weekend for the Thirteenth Annual Native POP: People of the Plains two-day art market at Main Street Square in downtown Rapid City. This event is a celebration of Indigenous creativity, where music, art, fashion, and culture take center stage.

The festivities began Friday with the Opening Award Reception at the Suzy Cappa Art Center. Artists featuring their works included James Star Comes Out, Jeremy Eagle Road, Taylor Neuharth, Joe Pulliam, Frederick Clarin, Wade Medicine, Jennifer White, Nelda Schrupp, Rose Neuharth, Martin Red Bear, Gene Swallow, Wade Patton and Jean Roach.

The music line-up for both Saturday and Sunday featured the Youth Drum Group, Red Boy Means, Welby June, Color Guard Entry, Tiana Spotted Thunder, Santee Witt, Cranston Joel, William of Isolated South, Robert and Monte Brigs, Jontay Peters, Skyler Traxinger, and Spur Pourier. Entertainment also included comedy and spoken word, as well as an open mic for anyone who wanted to perform.

Santee Witt playing originals and covers at Native POP 2025. (Photo by Marnie Cook)

Saturday morning started slowly after thunderous rain storms the previous day threatened to cancel the event. But clear skies and near-perfect weather erased all apprehension vendors may have had, who began setting up their booths vigorously. By the 10 a.m. opening, children were already cooling themselves in the Main Street Square fountains. The welcome tent bustled with POP fans and curious visitors, while the air filled with the enticing scents of burgers, fry bread, and iced homemade lemonade.

Organizer Raine Nez visited with Native Sun News Today and said the event serves as a platform for Native artists from the Great Plains and nationwide to present their diverse talents, highlighting both traditional and contemporary forms of artistic expression.

This year’s Native POP Fashion Show theme was “Blooming on the Plains” featuring fashion designers and their collections: Briana Mayo from The Beauty Nest in Black Hawk, Crawford Nebraska’s Harmony Straub from Star in the Sky Sewing, Samara Tobeck with her line Afro Amazonia Wear, Seattle’s Lisa Redford with Inspired by LCR, and James Star Comes Out featuring S’aic’iya Design.

The fashion show featured designers of all ages, styles, and visions, and remains one of the favorite events at Native POP. It provides valuable exposure not only for designers but also for photographers, models, and make- up artists.

In the art competition, Division One first and second place winners for Adornment were Wade Patton and Nelda Schrupp. Division Two first and second place winners for Two Dimensional were Jennifer White and Joe Pulliam. Division Three winners for Three Dimensional were James Star Come Out and Jean Roach. Rose Newhart was the winner of the Emerging Artist Award, while Best of Show went to James Star Come Out.

Gene Swallow won the prestigious Publicity Award, a special recognition given to an artist whose work is selected to be featured in all advertising and promotional materials for next year’s Native POP event. Swallow, who is Oglala and lives in Rapid City, described his winning piece as a contemporary interpretation of Lakota origin. “There is a little bit of David Bowie influence mixed in,” he noted.

As the thirteenth annual Native POP drew to a close on Sunday evening, attendees and organizers alike reflected on another successful celebration of Indigenous art and culture. The event continues to grow in prominence, drawing visitors from across the region who come to experience the rich tapestry of Native American creative expression.

Native POP has cemented its place as one of the premier Indigenous art markets in the Great Plains. The community is already looking forward to next year’s event, where Gene Swallow’s artwork will welcome a new generation of artists and art enthusiasts to this celebration of Native creativity and resilience.

(Contact Marnie Cook at cookm8715@gmail.com)

Winners of Native Pop: People of the Plains Art Show

DIV 1-Adornment

1st place- Wade Patton

2nd place- Nelda Schrupp

DIV 2-2 Dimensional

1st place- Jennifer White

2nd place- Joe Pullman

DIV 3- 3 Dimensional

1st place- James Star Comes Out

2nd place- Jean Roach

Publicity Award- Gene Swallow