Leola Arts Council explores new ways to promote the arts

The newest community arts council in South Dakota is in Leola, where providing local entertainment and connecting with arts in education has spurred organizational efforts.

The community excitement that led to the local arts council’s formation began in 2017 with planning for the biennial Rhubarb Festival. The committee in charge of the event decided to book several entertainment performances, including Milo the Silo, a comedy act, and an afternoon of musical talent.

“That endeavor lead to a successful fundraising and positive community response to the entertainment,”said Gayle Seibel, president of the Leola Arts Council. “So we decided to continue to find ways to promote and bring entertainment to the community and expand the definition of arts in Leola.”

Storybook Land Theater’s “Curious George and the Golden Meatball.”

This past June, the new arts group hosted The Lutheran Ladies, a sellout comedy that included a church basement buffet dinner before the performance. In August, the Storybook Land Theater players presented Curious George and the Golden Meatball at the local school for the children. For back to school in September, the Leola group promoted the observance of National Arts in Education Week, with the arts council coordinating a project in the K-6 classrooms with the Leola

School teachers. As busy as this year has been, the Leola Arts Council is always planning for the future.

“We hosted a fundraiser that we hope will become an annual event for us, Funky Finds Fest, a combined craft show and flea market,” Seibel said. “The proceeds will be designated for visual and performing arts in the Leola School.”

The Lutheran Ladies entertained a sellout crowd in June.

The organization is also currently looking to book entertainment acts for the 2019 Rhubarb Festival and considering painting a mural on a downtown vacant wall, working with the Leola School and students. Building on their success, the local council is also doing a December event and a spring garden event as fundraisers. Seibel said that Arts South Dakota has been a valuable resource to the new community organization.

“They have given a great deal of encouragement to keep us moving forward, along with direction on applying for a grant in 2019,” she said. “The State Arts Conference was really beneficial, as it gave us the opportunity to meet so many other arts council members in South Dakota.”

Leola residents enjoy the Funky Finds Fest.