IACB Features Dustin Twiss and Brendon Albers in Special Exhibition

Dustin Twiss and Brendon Albers - Storied Stone

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

June 20, 2019  

RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA: The Sioux Indian Museum, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Indian Arts and Crafts Board, will feature an exhibit of artwork by Dustin Twiss and Brendon Albers.  The exhibition will run from July 19 through October 1, 2019.  The exhibition is free and open to the public.

Dustin Twiss, an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, is an emerging artist who draws inspiration from the natural landscapes of western South Dakota.  He currently resides near Stronghold Table on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where he works as both an artist and rancher. 

Although Twiss is a self-taught artist, he has sought guidance from elder artists as he developed his own skills.  His current work is created using only colored pencils and paper.  Each piece begins with a small preparatory sketch, which is then transferred to a larger format for the final work.  Once Twiss is satisfied with the placement of all the outlines in the work, the final step is filling in the fields with colors. 

The animals and landscapes of South Dakota provide much of the inspiration for his current work.  He uses the natural patterns of the Fairburn agate, the state gem of South Dakota, as a background motif in his drawings.  As part of the Lakota philosophy of Mitákuye Oyás'iŋ, “we are all related,” Twiss hopes his work will inspire the viewer to ponder the relationships that exist between all living and nonliving things in the natural world. 

Brendon Albers, an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, creates stone sculptures that reflect his Lakota heritage.  Raised on the Cheyenne River Reservation, he currently lives near Martin, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. 

Albers discovered the beginnings of his artistic talent at age 14 when he took his first art class.  He began to blossom as an artist when his family was struck by tragedy.  While his brother was hospitalized with cancer, Albers carved his first stone sculpture and found his true life’s work.  Shortly thereafter, he made the commitment to pursue his artwork full-time. 

Inspired by Lakota cultural traditions and oral history, Albers carves his sculptures using only hand tools: hammers, chisels, and files.  Working primarily in alabaster from the Black Hills of South Dakota, Albers connects with preceding generations of sculptors by allowing the stone to share its inner vision.   

Prices for the artwork can be obtained by contacting The Journey Museum Store at (605) 394-2201. 

 * Exhibition brochure

The Sioux Indian Museum, managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Indian Arts and Crafts Board, is located in The Journey Museum, 222 New York Street, Rapid City, SD 57701.  For admission fees and hours of operation please call (605) 394-6923.