RedCan 2019 starts this Wednesday, June 19, and the Cheyenne River Youth Project is working hard to prepare for its 5th annual invitational graffiti jam in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. To help raise awareness, the nonprofit youth organization has released a second teaser trailer on its YouTube channel as well as a list of exciting youth activities scheduled for next week.

CRYP has invited Wingspan Media to conduct a RedCan Youth Media Training on Monday and Tuesday, June 17-18. This training will familiarize participating teens with audio, photo and video documentation techniques and professional-grade equipment, which they will use to document the graffiti jam. Teens will work alongside the photo and video team to help create b-roll footage and assist with interviewing artists, elders and other community members.

“Our focus during the two-day training is to get the kids’ hands on cameras right away,” says Wingspan Media’s Chris Hollis. “We also want to give them opportunities to practice their interviewing skills on each other and CRYP staff members before they talk with the artists. We’re also going to be teaching them how to do time-lapse photography, which is really exciting

On Wednesday, June 19, the Missouri-based volunteer group SWAMP-IN will lead a community art activity called “Story Stones & Watercolor Silhouettes” at 1-3 p.m. The next day, instructors from Rapid City’s Full Circle Martial Arts Academy will provide martial arts instruction at 1-2 p.m., and volunteers from Cincinnati, Ohio-based Ursuline Academy will conduct “Moon Sand & Stencils” for the community at 1-3 p.m.

Youth arts activities kick into high gear on Friday, June 21, in CRYP’s Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count) Art Park. SWAMP-IN will lead an art activity for 4- to 12-year-olds that involves both slime and bird feeders at 12-2 p.m., and Ursuline Academy will host a wall painting activity for 4- to 18-year-olds at 12-4 p.m. Meanwhile, at the First Peoples’ Fund’s Rolling Rez Arts bus, 13- to 18-year-olds can paint skateboards at 12-2 p.m., and then learn parfleche with artist Wade Patton at 3-5 p.m.

On Saturday, June 22, Ursuline will offer “Bubble Snakes & T-Shirt Printing” for 4- to 18-year-olds at 12-2 p.m., while SWAMP-IN takes over the youth spray-paint wall from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. At the Rolling Rez Arts bus, teens can make dreamcatchers at 12-2 p.m., and then learn color pastels with Patton at 3-5 p.m. 

“We’re also excited to announce that the Sampson Bros. will teach a hoop-dancing class in the art park at 3-4 p.m. on Saturday,” says Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “We’re honored to have them with us for this year’s RedCan. They will close this year’s graffiti jam for us, with a special performance on the outdoor Waniyetu Wowapi stage at 6 p.m. on Saturday.”

World-renowned Mvskoke Creek/Seneca dancers Lumhe and Samsoche Sampson strive to promote cultural pride, unity and hope by setting a positive example through art, education and dance. In the last 25 years, the Sampson Bros. have performed in more than half a dozen countries and have educated thousands of people worldwide about their culture and about indigenous hoop dancing.

Gunner Jules and Let It Bee also will appear on the Waniyetu Wowapi stage, with appearances scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday.

RedCan 2019 will feature acclaimed returning artists Wundr, Ryoe, Cyfi, Sadat, Scape, Dwayno Insano, Siamese, Hoka, Biafra, Tuke and DeKae. They will be painting at mural sites around Eagle Butte on June 19-20, and then in CRYP’s Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park on June 21-22.

“On those days, while the artists are painting, DJ Micah and the Lakota Dance Exhibition dancers will provide live music and performances in the art park,” Garreau says. “Having all the artists in the park at the same time is an exciting change for us; they have told us they love painting in a high-energy environment, and that’s certainly what we will have on RedCan’s final two days. Not only will the artists be drawing inspiration and energy from each other, they’ll also be surrounded by traditional dancers, talented performers, and young people who are expressing themselves in positive, vibrant, healthy ways.”

What’s more, local artists Leland and Tami will have opportunities to paint alongside the guest artists. These creative collaborations have been highlights of the RedCan experience in previous years, and they are evidence that this unique event is as much about relationships as it is about graffiti art.

“This is not about individual egos at all,” Garreau explains. “It’s about building friendships, sharing ideas, and strengthening the bonds between cultures and peoples. At CRYP, we are dedicated to reconciliation, healing and wellness, and RedCan celebrates these things in profound and deeply moving ways.

“Once again, we’re deeply grateful to ArtPlace America, the John T. Vucurevich Foundation, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, the Bush Foundation, the Santa Fe Tobacco Company, Dope Paint and All Day Supply for their support,” she continues. “We also offer our heartfelt thanks to the  many individuals across the country—and even around the world—who are helping us cover the costs associated with an event this size.”

To make a tax-deductible contribution to the RedCan fundraiser, visit www.lakotayouth.com/donate. All proceeds will be used to purchase paint, artist supplies, food and beverages, and to help cover the artists’ travel expenses. CRYP friends also can purchase RedCan merchandise at www.lakotayouth.org/shop; all proceeds benefit the youth project’s programming and services.

For information about this year’s RedCan invitational graffiti jam, visit www.lakotayouth.org/redcan. And, to stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, follow the youth project on Facebook (/LakotaYouth), Twitter (@LakotaYouth) and Instagram (@waniyetuwowapi).

The Cheyenne River Youth Project, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.