The East River Horizons Team and their friends are preparing for a culture and music event to be held at Wagner Lake in Wagner, South Dakota on June 13. The event is being referred to as “605 Unity JAM” and is intended to help bring people together to increase culture awareness, understanding, acceptance and appreciation for all cultures in the area.

In addition to the event, a community art project has also been created to help make a lasting positive impression upon the community. The art project will help demonstrate the outcome obtained when people work together to make something positive happen for their community. Students from the Lake Andes, Marty and Wagner schools submitted their artistic talents and created designs that will be used when painting two fiberglass buffalo sculptures that will then be painted and placed at Wagner Lake. Finding the artists that could join in the unity process became the next challenge. However, two artists came forward, one an established South Dakota artist, Cherie Ramsdell and the other Isabelle Barraza, a graduating art student from DWU., both who found the idea intriguing and important to be a part of.

Cherie Ramsdell is originally from Wagner and wanted to help with the project because of it’s social value to the community. Isabelle Barraza was fascinated with the project as well and it will help provide her with her first commissioned project beyond her college experience and will strengthen her resume for future endeavors. Miss Barraza commented, “My art professor has always said I need to expand my art experiences if I want to become a more accomplished artist. I plan to turn to my professor for continued advice and guidance as I become more involved in this very important social project for the community. I think the university art program has given me the knowledge and confidence I need to take on this project and I look forward to the challenge. The university has always encouraged us to begin applying what we have learned and I like the objectives established for this event”. The buffalo sculpture will arrive from Chicago very soon and the artists will begin transferring the student designer’s vision on to the sculpture and create a finished project. The importance and value of “unity” will then be on display at Wagner Lake for years to come, for all to see when they visit the community lake.

The 605 Unity JAM will feature culture presentations, a variety of music throughout the day, a military veteran’s honor program, a fishing contest for youth, inflatables, arts and craft venders, a bean bag tournament for high school students and for adults, food venders and much more. For information check out https://www.horizonsinc.org/ for more information.