(page 46) JANUARY 2015
THE REAL DEAL BY JORDAN SMITH
Names: Kara Dirkson // Hometown: Sioux Falls //Age: 39 // Specialty: “I do everything with fine art, except create it.”
What projects are you looking forward to? We are starting a gallery that will feature only artwork that has ties to this area called the County Lines Gallery. The goal is that by designating a gallery for that use, we are giving artists in the area a chance to spread their wings and have an exhibition in their own backyard.
KARA DIRKSON “The way I interpret the world and respond to it is very visual. I am very interested in it and the transcendent quality art has for me.”
The Washington Pavilion is beginning a new year with fresh leadership in its Visual Arts Center. Kara Dirkson took the helm of the VAC in late 2014, and now spends her days completing varied tasks, like meeting with donors, examining artwork onsite, painting gallery walls, and of course, creating budgets and strategies for the organization’s success. Dirkson talks with us about her path to the head of the VAC.
Chicago and completed post-grad work in appraisal studies. Shortly after, I decided to relocate back to Sioux Falls and worked in art consulting. I got involved with the Visual Arts Center board and served for a while and came to love the Pavilion. The job is a unique opportunity to serve a community that I really love and an organization that I am excited about. I also love this old building.
How did you get started working with fine art? This is the third step of my career. Academically, I focused on research in humanities and social sciences. Then after college I ended up teaching high school history and social studies. After a while, I stopped teaching, started a family and completed my master’s degree, and at that time I decided time to move into working with fine art. I started working in a retail gallery setting in eastern Iowa, and then because of major flood there, they required my assistance with the insurance appraising of fine art. It was there I realized even though I don’t create fine art, I can research, analyze, and interact with it. I went to
Why are you passionate about art? It comes from being an intensely visual person, moved by sensory experiences. I am very interested in it and the transcendent quality art has for me. How do you hope to spread this passion to the community? We have ushered in a number of changes at the VAC. One is a shift in how we use our gallery spaces. We are moving toward taking on a more formal role as an art museum. We will feature our permanent collection through rotating exhibitions of artwork we own and care for. I also hope to increase the participatory element by making an exhibition something that you experience.
What’s your favorite project you are working on? I am really excited about all of the projects I mentioned, including increasing participatory element of exhibitions, improving the presentation of them, and trying to be good stewards of our permanent collection by organizing it and having it showcased more. I am interested and excited to see those projects through. Another thing that is also important to me is to make sure I am responsible with our budget, as we are a nonprofit and only get a limited amount of public funding to cover operational costs of the building. I am always looking at trying to come up with a budget that is balanced and realistic and also have high quality programs and exhibitions. What does the VAC bring to the community? The VAC is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. AAM is a national organization that requires you go through a very long and involved process to get the stamp of approval. The VAC is one of only two accredited institutions in the state. If you want to see professional art exhibitions at a place you can experience programming that is cross-pollinated with a science center and an education department, that’s what we’ve got. We are the art museum of the community. For more info on the Washington Pavilion and the Visual Arts Center, visit www.washingtonpavilion.org or call (605) 367-6000.