Annual RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam Hosted by the Cheyenne River Youth Project

The Cheyenne River Youth Project (CRYP) has formally announced the dates for its 11th Annual RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam, a vibrant arts and culture festival scheduled to take place from July 9th through the 12th. The Native-led nonprofit organization is preparing to welcome nine nationally recognized graffiti and street artists from across the country to this four-day celebration situated in the heart of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation, transforming the community through large-scale public art.

A Convergence of National and Local Talent

The roster for this year's event features a talented group of artists, including several familiar faces. Returning artists include East, a Cherokee artist based in Denver; Cyfi, a Yaqui and Azteca artist hailing from Minneapolis; 179, a Latine artist from Seattle; Hoka, an artist of Oneida, Oglala Lakota and La Jolla Band of Luiseño descent from Albuquerque; local Cheyenne River Lakota artist TamiJoy; Minneapolis-based artists Biafra and Wundr; and Amp, a Ponca artist from Kansas. Making a highly anticipated debut at RedCan this year is Lady Rise, a P'urhépecha artist from Michoacán, México, who was born in California to a migrant farming family, was raised amid the Chicago graffiti art scene, and currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona.

The first two days, July 9th and 10th, will see the invited artists commence work on large-scale mural sites across the city of Eagle Butte, visually bringing Lakota language, stories, and culture to life. Simultaneously, local children will engage in community-based, volunteer-led art activities. This unique process provides invaluable opportunities for CRYP’s teen art interns and Lakota Art Fellows to support the artists, collaborating and practicing new skills alongside seasoned professionals.

On July 11th and 12th, the creative focus will shift entirely to the youth project’s Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count) Art Park. All nine featured artists will be painting simultaneously within the park, while guests enjoy hands-on art activities, traditional Lakota dancing, live music, and other cultural offerings. The renowned Mvskoke Creek/Seneca hoop dancers, The Sampson Brothers, will return to RedCan this year to teach hoop-dancing workshops and deliver an eagerly anticipated Saturday evening performance that will serve as the festival's closing moment. Additionally, Taté Walker, an award-winning two-spirit Lakota storyteller, will be back to conduct popular youth poetry workshops, with participants given the opportunity to share their work through spoken-word performances in the art park. As is customary, the Cheyenne River-based Wakinyan Maza drum group will provide songs and a blessing to both open and close each day.

A Model for Native Youth Empowerment

The RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam has evolved into a cornerstone event for the Cheyenne River annual calendar, illustrating its profound impact on the community. Last year’s iteration saw over 616 youth participating in organized art activities, 436 people enjoying free community dinners in CRYP’s art park, and 535 individuals directly engaging with artists at the mural sites. More broadly, the community engagement was massive, with over 8,600 people witnessing the murals come to life as they passed by.

Julie Garreau, CRYP’s founder and chief executive officer, affirmed that over the last decade, RedCan has become "so much more than a public art project." She identified the jam as a "nationally recognized model for Native youth empowerment, cultural reclamation, language revitalization and cultural exchange." Survey results underline this success, revealing that more than ninety percent of participating youth agreed that RedCan instilled pride in their culture and local community, seventy-nine percent felt it strengthened their cultural identity, and sixty percent agreed that participation improved their Lakota language skills. Critically, nearly one hundred percent of respondents indicated their desire for RedCan to continue, confirming its overwhelmingly positive community impact.

Expanding the Ripple Effect

The success of RedCan has garnered attention from other Indigenous communities, initiating a powerful ripple effect. Last year, Native youth from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona traveled to RedCan specifically to learn about the event’s structure and its role in cultural reclamation and language revitalization. This spring, they successfully staged their own culturally grounded graffiti and street art festival in their home community. Garreau expressed delight upon hearing the news from Rezmo, a Salt River-based Diné and Mexicá artist and RedCan alumnus, stating, "This is absolutely what we want to see happen—Native nations creating their own arts events, by their community, for their community.”

Furthermore, RedCan’s influence will be recognized on a national stage this year at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. RedCan artist Hoka and selected CRYP art students will be painting on site during the festival, which is scheduled to take place on the National Mall from July 2nd to the 7th. Immediately following that festival's conclusion, the featured RedCan artists will arrive in Eagle Butte, poised to begin painting their large-scale mural sites the very next morning. Individuals interested in learning more about RedCan 2025, its nine featured artists, and special guests, or wishing to support the groundbreaking event, are encouraged to visit the official website. Additional details and the full schedule of events will be made available in the coming weeks.