Bringing people together through public art

Each year the South Dakota Arts Council selects a group of South Dakota artists to receive the Artist Fellowship grant rewarding individual artistic excellence. The $5,000 Fellowships, awarded through a competitive grant process, reflect the variety and quality of art being produced in South Dakota.

A graduate of the University of South Dakota, Zach DeBoer is the owner of Exposure Gallery & Studios in Sioux Falls and a South Dakota Arts Council Artist In Schools & Communities. DeBoer’s residency projects bring communities together for a series of creative workshops. As an artist and an active member of his community, DeBoer has exhibited his artwork in numerous venues across the region and organized art events both at his own gallery and other locations including public art murals, demonstrations, artist business coaching and various tactical urbanism projects.

Arts Alive: How has your contact with art in a gallery setting with other artists affected your own art?

Zach DeBoer: When I opened my gallery, I started having less and less time to concentrate on making my own artwork. I found a way to channel my creative energy into organizing art events, public murals and other collaborative projects where I could create artwork alongside groups of people. I see art as a tool that can be used to solve so many problems that face our communities: crime, personal health, traffic safety and other challenges can all be positively affected through the arts. Art is a universal answer and language that we can all benefit from.

What did this Fellowship allow you to explore as an artist?

The Fellowship allowed me the time to work on a variety of projects including two street murals, a utility box wrap and two large scale art events. I was able to work more collaboratively with different groups like my neighborhood association and Downtown Sioux Falls Inc. to create works of art that engaged the community in interesting, new ways. While not strictly art-related, it also gave me the time to run for city council in Sioux Falls this past spring.

Zach DeBoer helps kids to create at Riverfest in downtown Sioux Falls.

What are the unique challenges and rewards of being an Artist In Schools & Communities?

Adjusting your lesson plan to fit the personalities, abilities and backgrounds of whatever group you’re working with that week can sometimes be tricky and require extra thought. However, I also view that challenge as a reward. Being forced to adapt and switch up my plans keeps me on my toes and keeps my ideas fresh. I also love exploring and getting to know new towns I might not have visited if I weren’t a part of the program.

Do you find that the geography or people of South Dakota have influenced your work?

Between the two, the people influence my work more. Since most of my work is collaborative in nature, how and what is created depends entirely on who I’m working with. While not the same as geography, the environment where I install or create my projects also greatly effects the final product.

What are your artistic goals for the next year?

I hope to continue to work in the public realm to create projects that bring people together and create unique places. I also want to expand my work outside of Sioux Falls and start engaging with smaller rural communities to use art, design and community building to create change in their towns.