Focus Smith

Derek "Focus" Smith is a self-taught Lakota graffiti artist based in Rapid City, South Dakota, and co-founder of About This Life, Inc., the state's first graffiti nonprofit. A former Community Engagement Coordinator at the Dahl Arts Center, Focus uses spray paint to weave Lakota cultural imagery — bears, Black Hills landscapes, beadwork patterns — into large-scale murals that foster healing and connection. His work spans South Dakota and Nebraska, from Pine Ridge to Lincoln's University Place Creative District.