Tammy Joy Granados is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and was born and raised in Eagle Butte, SD. Cheyenne River artist Tammy Joy Granados, prefers to be known as Tammy Joy Art professionally. Tammy is from the Itazipco and Hunkpapa bands of the Lakota/Dakota people. While Tammy has always enjoyed creating - her artistic journey did not begin until a few years ago. Although Tammy does not have a formal art education, her current style is honed through years of practicing at home, experimenting with different mediums and styles - primarily acrylic paint, graffiti and street art, and paper. Tammy’s paintings are best described as expressionistic, and she draws inspiration from cultural components and storytelling, as well as different subjects and objects that have great meaning to her.

Tammy has three young children who inspire her daily and can be found often in the pieces she creates. Her oldest daughter, Mahpiya Luta Win, has begun to join her mother’s artistic journey. She can often be found with her own paints and canvases creating alongside her mother - learning the importance of creativity, culture, and art as healing, therapy and growth. Tammy credits her artistic knowledge to her late Uncle, Leonard Granados - her pride in her Uncle’s creations created a motivation to learn herself. She also finds it important to find an avenue for self-expression - everyone needs one. 

Tammy sees her artistic development as a lifelong journey, one where she is constantly fine-tuning her artistic vision and enhancing skills and techniques. While she works primarily with acrylic on canvas, she also creates large scale murals as a street/graffiti artist, creates craft items and wood decor on a smaller scale, and also enjoys graphic arts and video creation. Tammy has participated as an accepted artist in the Native: People of the Plains Art Market, placed locally in CRST’s Labor Day Domestic and Lakota Arts Exhibit, placing consistently since she began her artistic career. She has also designed logos for programs, created publicity pieces, and been featured in publications. She had her works on exhibition at the Journey Museum in Rapid City, SD in 2017, as well as the Rapid City Public Library.