Arts Across the Prairie selects Shayna Grandbois and Derek Poitra to create large-scale public artwork
BISMARCK, ND - Arts Across the Prairie: Placemaking in Rural North Dakota announces Shayna Grandbois and Derek Poitra as the selected artist team for Arts Across the Prairie in Region 3, themed “Heart of the Land, Spirit of Unity.”
The community stakeholder-led committee welcomed applications from artists in North Dakota and neighboring Native nations. After a first “request for qualifications” phase, artists submitted design proposals complete with concept renderings and estimated budgets before progressing to online interviews. Since early 2024, stakeholders have routinely met to discuss their region, assemble a narrative, secure an appropriate site, and create a framework for the project’s development. Selecting an artist team marks an important juncture in the project’s development.
The selection committee was drawn to Grandbois’s and Poitra’s proposal for its invitation to gather and rest and its incorporation of key themes related to “Heart of the Land, Spirit of Unity,” which stakeholders outlined and shared in a guiding narrative.
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The artwork (tentative design left) will feature two large-scale arches bending towards the middle, creating a dome-like area. The arches will be constructed from metal, featuring carved out designs relevant to the diverse peoples and cultures in north-central ND’s Region 3. Featured under the arches are benches and stone pavers inscribed with key words, altogether inviting visitors to gather, rest, and be. |
The project will be installed at a rural site located 7 miles north of Warwick, ND, on Woodrutten Road. The site highlights the area’s varied landscape, featuring sweeping views of cropland, small and large bodies of water, and, in the distance, a view of the Devils Heart Butte.
Grandbois and Poitra share, “Being selected for this project is both an honor and a responsibility. We look forward to listening, learning, and collaborating with the communities of Region 3 to create a work of art that is meaningful, enduring, and deeply connected to the people and landscape it will call home.” The artist team will work through the 2027-29 biennium to execute the artwork, collaborating with stakeholders, NDCA, and other partners.
Grandbois and Poitra Biography
Shayna Grandbois-Herrera and Derek Poitra, both Turtle Mountain Chippewa/Ojibwe artists, bring decades of experience, cultural knowledge, and deep personal connection to their creative practices. Shayna, a second‑generation stone sculptor based in Santa Fe, has spent nearly 30 years shaping monumental and expressive works that honor her heritage, the land, and the legacy of her late father, renowned sculptor Rollie A. Grandbois. Her sculpture - ranging from contemporary abstractions to figurative and wildlife pieces - reflect movement, connection, and spirit, and have been exhibited nationally and internationally. With strong roots in both New Mexico and North Dakota, Shayna also serves as a Native Health Navigator, centering community, relationships, and healing in all facets of her work. She is currently collaborating with fellow Turtle Mountain artist Derek Poitra on the Region 3 public art project.
Derek’s artistic career spans more than 25 years across painting, sculpture, and tattooing, each grounded in his Ojibwa heritage and a lifelong dedication to craftsmanship, symbolism, and storytelling. His work explores light, form, anatomy, and emotional resonance, whether on canvas or in the deeply personal medium of tattooing. Derek approaches each tattoo as a custom piece designed to honor the wearer’s story, treating the art form with humility, patience, and respect. Now living in St. John, ND, Derek’s connection to the Turtle Mountain community, Northern Plains landscape, and Ojibwe traditions continues to shape his artistic vision and his commitment to creating meaningful, enduring work.
For full biographies, along with more project details, please visit the Region 3 webpage.
Arts Across the Prairie: Placemaking in Rural North Dakota
Arts Across the Prairie: Placemaking in Rural North Dakota is a first-of-its-kind, statewide public art program from North Dakota Council on the Arts. The program is overseeing the creation of eight large-scale public artworks – one for each geographic region in the state – that reflect the unique history, landscape, and cultural heritage of each place.
Region 3 – “Heart of the Land, Spirit of Unity"
North Dakota has eight distinct regions. Region 3, in north-central North Dakota, comprises Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette, and Towner counties. Stakeholders - each representing different counties and fields such as education, economic development, and the arts - routinely met since early 2024 to guide this project.
North Dakota Council on the Arts is the state agency responsible for the support and development of the arts throughout North Dakota and is funded by the state legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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For More Information Contact:
Rhea Beto | 701.328.7594 | rbeto@nd.gov
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