Cary Thrall stood at the front of a classroom at Canyon Hills Center earlier this month, watching 30 middle and high school students fold paper into impossible shapes. They were making hexaflexagons—origami toys with a hidden third side—and the room buzzed with the kind of focused energy that comes when hands and minds work together.
It’s the first of twelve creative workshops happening at Canyon Hills Center through June, and we’re thrilled to share that The Matthews has received a $4,000 Arts Midwest GIG Fund grant to make it possible. The grant supports a creative residency program designed specifically for students at Canyon Hills Center with Lutheran Social Services, bringing professional artists into the classroom for hands-on experiences in visual arts, poetry, and printmaking.
What does this look like?
Over the next several months, students will work with local and regional artists on projects that range from brown paper bag paintings and watercolor mandalas to monoprinting and recycled sketchbook making. They’ll write poetry with South Dakota’s poet laureate, practice observational drawing, and even design their own personal crests.
Cary Thrall with Cat Scratch Designs is coordinating the artist roster, connecting students with creative voices from across the region. Each session is designed to be more than just an art class—it’s a chance for young people to explore identity, build resilience, and discover what their hands can make when given the space and materials to try.
Why this matters for Spearfish
Arts Midwest president and CEO Torrie Allen put it well: “Research shows that art and creativity can strengthen community wellness. It helps people build connections, feel a sense of belonging, and access resilience.”
That’s exactly what we’re hoping to cultivate here. This partnership with Canyon Hills Center is about more than teaching techniques. It’s about creating moments where young people can see themselves as artists, where they can express what words sometimes can’t, and where creativity becomes a tool for growth.
The program wraps up in June with a community art showcase and guided Art Walk, where student work will be displayed in businesses across Spearfish. We’ll share more details as that approaches, and we hope you’ll come see what these students have created.
This project is supported in part by Arts Midwest, which receives support in part from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. We’re grateful for the partnership and excited to watch this unfold.
