SF Professor Heading Back to South Dakota to Volunteer this Summer

June 7, 2010

SF Graphic Design Professor Rhonda Peyton is heading back to South Dakota in July to volunteer for three weeks at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation's Boys and Girls Club.

Peyton teaches Sioux youth ages 7 to 16 fundamental art skills such as color theory, value structure, foundation drawing and painting.

“Since I am not of the tribe, my intent is to give them foundational information, letting them choose the subject matter,” Peyton explained.

In the process, Peyton and the children create fantastic projects together, such as collaborative linocuts using an illustration method she teaches in her Illustration class at SF, silkscreen kites, and lanterns decorated with watercolors and pastels. The club recently received a grant for eight Mac minis with PhotoShop, so she is also going to teach the kids how to use the software.

The trip is a family affair. Peyton is traveling with her husband and 16-year-old son, who both volunteer as handymen and teach music classes.

Donate toward art supplies

Peyton is selling some of the linocuts, such as the illustration above, for $50 to raise funds to purchase art supplies for the classes. “One bottle of fabric dye and four linocut blocks costs $50, so it adds up…. ” For more information about the artwork, contact her via email at rhonda.peyton@sfcollege.edu.

You can also help by making a tax-deductible donation for the supplies. Visions of SuAnne Big Crow is a federally registered, 501c3 organization. You can donate online at:

http://suannebigcrow.org/howyoucanhelp.html

or send a check to The Visions of SuAnne Big Crow, P.O. Box 5079, Pine Ridge, SD 57770. Please write “Art supplies for Rhonda Peyton's summer program” in the memo line.

Photo gallery from last summer's trip to Pine Ridge

Press release about last year's program