Native POP: People of the Plains- Presented by FUSE Rapid City

• 5:30pm – Social Hour
• 6:30pm – Dinner & Fundraiser

OUR 2020 BENEFICIARY
Native POP: People of the Plains
The free annual event, held on the third weekend of July in downtown Rapid City, is a juried Native art show and cultural celebration. Native POP features original artwork for sale by established and emerging Great Plains Native artists and a full day of cultural performances, including musicians and fashion designers. A ticketed artist awards reception is held on the Friday evening before the show.
OUR WHY
Rapid City is a center of diverse cultures. The town is within three hours of six tribal nations of the Oceti Sakowin along with a wide range of other indigenous peoples. Rapid City’s diversity is also centered around the multiple aspects of this community: a tourist hub, a college town, a military host city, a center for agriculture, and an up-and-coming major scientific research location.
Technology has changed where, how and why people relate to each other. Today, the ability to communicate across cultural boundaries is a critical component of positive economic growth and a stable vibrant community.
Effective communication starts with understanding another’s world view, and the vision of the founding members of Fuse Rapid City is to increase community inclusion and acceptance of cultural diversity in the area, through education, awareness and community involvement.
Fuse will host an annual charity dinner to fund a local culture-focused organization. Each year, a new culture-focused event and organization will be chosen to be the recipient of the fundraising efforts. This year’s dinner is on Friday, February 21, 2020.
The inspiration for Fuse Rapid City was generated by Leadership Rapid City class of 2018. Class members wanted to utilize their talents to support the efforts of organizations who already expertly promote cultural diversity and inclusion in the community of Rapid City.