Racing Magpie

Rapid City, SD

Founded in 2015, Racing Magpie is a Native-led arts and culture organization grounded in Lakota values and located in Rapid City, South Dakota. It supports a dynamic community of Lakota and Oceti Sakowin artists, culture bearers, and relatives through a Native art gallery, affordable studios, and artist-centered public programs. With a mission to center the Lakota practice of being a good relative, Racing Magpie operates as a gathering place for creative expression, cultural continuity, and community-led learning. Its programs highlight a holistic understanding of visual art as both aesthetic expression and intergenerational responsibility.

As part of a phased renovation of its second facility, Racing Magpie is implementing building upgrades aligned with environmental stewardship and cultural responsibility. The FCI-supported project replaces an aging, single-pane storefront with a new double-pane glass system featuring thermally broken frames—improving insulation, reducing energy demand, and enhancing year-round comfort. These improvements align with the organization’s broader commitment to environmental responsibility, cultural continuity, and thoughtful, place-based design.  In a region where climate-aware infrastructure resources remain scarce for small Native nonprofits, Racing Magpie demonstrates how community-rooted arts organizations can lead with intention, resilience, and long-term vision.

Milestones

• Replace single-pane glass with thermally broken storefront system

• Improve insulation and energy performance in main entry and gallery

• Support climate-resilient renovation of 5,300-square-foot arts facility

• Reflect Lakota practices of reciprocity through building improvements

• Strengthen energy savings to support long-term program viability

• Model Native-led, values-based climate action in a resource-scarce region