Woven throughout the artwork of "Impacted Nations" is the theme of race, poverty and the environment - the greatest equalizer being the depletion of natural resources, contaminated water and soil and polluted air that affects all races and social classes on a global scale.

Faye Brown of Honor the Earth, a Native American foundation that supports 48 grassroots groups working for environmental and energy issues, sustainable community restoration and youth organizations, talked about the sobering art show that it sponsors.

"'Impacted Nations' was launched in 2005 in New York City. It's been traveling ever since, and more than 1,000 people have seen the show," she said.

The traveling art show, now on display at the Dahl Arts Center, expresses the experiences and visions of Native American artists in relation to energy development in Native communities, she said.

The subject matter of the show is matched by a myriad of styles and mediums used by the artists, including Rapid City artists Donald Montileaux and Dwayne Wilcox. Over the last three years, "Impacted Nations" has traveled to the Trickster Gallery in Chicago; Ancient Traders Gallery in Minneapolis; The Institute for American Indian Art in Sante Fe, N.M.; Fort Lewis College and Smokebrush Museum, Fort Lewis, Colo.; and Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Anne White Hat, a board member of Honor the Earth, recalls traveling on national tours that exposed environmental problems at Native American communities, where business industrialists exploited the poor communities for their own gain, she said.

"About 12 or 14 years ago, we went on to East Coast reservation communities that were struggling and fighting against environmental issues," she said.

The work has grown to include artists and their vision of the impact of energy development - through strip mining of uranium, coal and minerals, to clear-cutting of timber to the renewable energies such as wind, biofuels and solar energy - on reservations throughout the Americas.

"We're proud of the artists who have stepped forward with their works," White Hat said of the show.

Wilcox is one of the artists who took time at an artists' reception to talk about his art.

Wilcox described his "Van Go," which depicts a van being pushed by several Native men, as being inspired by living in Wanblee on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

A single gas station served the entire community, but the owner also ran a ranch. During haying season, the owner would be out in the fields mowing and baling hay until a piece of equipment broke down. In the meantime, his gas station remained closed.

When he opened for business, usually after 5 p.m., the entire community was alerted.

"Little kids would run through the community saying, 'The store's open,'" Wilcox said. Because they may have run out of gas on Tuesday, people wasted little time to get their automobiles to the store for fuel by Thursday or whenever the owner deemed it worthy to open his business.

"You pushed it or walked to get it somewhere," Wilcox said of refueling his van.

Montileaux's "Honor the Earth" depicts a mix of traditional Native figures with wind turbines on ledger art. While not completely at a zero carbon footprint, it shows the South Dakota tribes' consideration of employing wind energy to power its communities in the future.

Linda Anderson, executive director of the Dahl, was impressed by the two dozen pieces of the 55 works now on display through Oct. 18. She agreed with assistant director Darla Drew Lerdal that it was the kind of show that all people should view to understand the issues and what Honor the Earth is doing to help these communities.

"My only regret is that we don't have more room to display all the works," Anderson said.

If you go

What: "Impacted Nations," an exhibit of visual art and poetry that addresses Native communities adversely impacted by energy development.

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays; now to Oct. 18

Admission: Free

Where: The Bruce H. Lien Cultural Cafe Gallery, Dahl Art Center, 713 Seventh St.

Organized by Honor the Earth, this exhibit has invited Native American artists to submit works to address adverse energy development issues in their own or other Native communities, focusing on current impacts or future positive alternatives. Its goal is that Native artists can affect positive social change.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.