INHERITANCE
THE RULEAUXS
with JACOB, JEROD, AND NATHANIEL RULEAUX
ON VIEW: OCTOBER 3 - NOVEMBER 8 2026
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Artist Reception
Saturday, October 17th 2026 5-7pm
405 N. River Street - Hot Springs, SD 57747
Inheritance: The Ruleaux Line Continues the Legacy of the renowned artist Donald D. Ruleaux through the work of his grandchildren…Nathaniel, Jacob, and Jerod Ruleaux.
Donald D. Ruleaux (1931–2020) was an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe. His heritage and early childhood on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation informed his portrayals of Lakota people. Best known for his rare silverpoint drawings and watercolors, Ruleaux worked across many media over a career spanning more than five decades. His work is held in national collections, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. His influence as a teacher and mentor also extended well beyond his own studio practice.
This exhibition brings together works by three cousins whose lives eventually took them to different parts of the country. Each formed a distinct practice and body of work shaped by individual experience. However, when seen together connections begin to emerge through shared themes and visual echoes. This suite of works considers how a shared creative inheritance can take on distinct forms.
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Selecting the pieces to show alongside my cousins in Inheritance, I found myself gravitating not only to pieces telling the story of our family history, but to pieces made with materials left by our late Grandfather, Donald D Ruleaux.
Along with a lifetime of work as an artist and educator, I’ll always remember Grandpa as a storyteller. I learned as much about how to tell a good story to an audience of friends and family as I did how to draw with silverpoint from him.
As we grandkids became adults, the entire Ruleaux family grew into their own successes and artistries. Often in the work of his children and grandchildren you can see glimpses and whispers of Grandpa and his teachings. No doubt there’s things all Ruleaux carry along with the name. A smirk, a jovial attitude, a deep need to interact with our world by sharing how we experience it."
- Nathaniel Ruleaux
Jacob Ruleaux
Sheridan, WY
Jacob Ruleaux is a painter whose work focuses primarily on landscape. Born in Deadwood, South Dakota, he grew up in the Black Hills and southwest Montana, experiences that established an early connection to the landscapes of the American West. He has continued to make art throughout his life and is largely self-taught.
Ruleaux has lived and traveled in many parts of the United States and abroad, experiences that have continued to shape his interest in landscape, memory, and place. His paintings and drawings have been exhibited at the Red Cloud Indian Art Show and SAGE Community Arts in Sheridan, Wyoming, among other venues. He currently lives in Wyoming.
Jerod Ruleaux
Forest Grove, OR
Pacific Northwest based, Jerod Ruleaux is a self-taught painter. His interests are primarily in color and space and how their exchange creates context. A member of the Oglala Lakota, Jerod frequently explores themes of Western Americana, including buffalo.
Nathaniel Ruleaux
Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, Mnilúzahaŋ-Otȟúŋwahe — unceded land
Nathaniel Ruleaux (he/him) is an award-winning artist and culture worker. A father and member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, his work combines modern art with traditional Indigenous imagery.
Nathaniel is a Community Engagement Specialist at Native Governance Center, serving tribes across the Midwest and Plains. He is a founding member of Unceded Artist Collective.
In addition to creating visual art, he is a classically-trained actor and educator. He received his MFA in Theatre from the University of Houston’s School of Theatre and Dance after receiving a BA in Theatre Performance at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre & Film at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.