Arts Alive
Summer 2019 A seasonal celebration of the arts in South Dakota
On the cover:
8
Emmanuel Michael performing with the Herbie Hancock Institute National Performing Arts High School All-Star Peer-to-Peer Jazz Sextet at the UCO Jazz Lab in Edmund, OK. Michael, a student at Washington High School in Sioux Falls, was one of six students chosen for the 2019 tour. Photo by Bart Marantz. See the cover story on Emmanuel Michael on page 4.
6
inside 4
6 Summer 2019 Volume 21, Issue 3
7 8
Arts Alive South Dakota is published by Arts South Dakota PO Box 2496 Sioux Falls, SD 57101-2496 605-252-5979
Send story ideas, arts photos or article submissions to Thurman & Thurman, Arts Alive editors, PO Box 1713, Sioux Falls, SD 57101 or email tandt@sio.midco.net. Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you wish mailed material returned to you. Page 2
9 10
10 7
Sioux Falls student has a touring year playing jazz guitar New South Dakota Poet Laureate begins term July 1
Levitt at the Falls announces free summer concert schedule Her Flag national art project celebrates Women’s Suffrage Gage Gramlick reflects on Poetry Out Loud program
Sculptor John Lopez places two works in France
18 12 16 18
Summer arts exhibitions light up the season
Secretary Hagen discusses impact of cultural tourism
Actors hit the boards across the state in summer shows
Mailing address change?
Need to change your Arts Alive mailing address? Contact Arts South Dakota directly!
Email us at info@ArtsSouthDakota.org or visit the Contact Us page at www.ArtsSouthDakota.org. Please give us the current name and address to which Arts Alive is being mailed, along with all of your new mailing address information.
egistration is still open reading sessions, master classes for the 20th annual Arts and clinic sessions that focus on Education Institute and a wide variety of teaching 1st annual Band subjects for band directors. Director Institute. The Arts The headline clinician will be Education Institute will be held Michael Sweeney, Composer and Director of Band Publications July 15-18 and the Band for Hal Leonard. Director Institute July 15-17 on It’s not too late to share the campus of Northern State an affordable, high quality University in Aberdeen. professional development For 20 years, the Arts experience that is relevant and Education Institute has offered directly applicable to the an educational and fun-filled classroom, as well as inspiraweek of learning to infuse the tional and fun. Information, arts into classrooms and ideas and interaction are curriculum development. This packed into a few days, year 24 hands-on art, choral providing a creative break for and music workshops offer teachers. Over 100 arts many opportunities for all Pre-K of learning fun— educators from around South through 12th grade educators. Dakota are expected to attend You DO NOT need to be an and there’s still time to register! this year’s institute, sponsored educator to attend AEI—anyone by Arts South Dakota, the South Dakota Arts Council, Northern who loves high quality workshops is invited to attend. State University and Popplers Music. This year’s inaugural Band Director Institute is an intensive Graduate, undergraduate and renewal CEU credits are program designed to bring music teachers the best in current available. More information and registration can be found at and standard literature in addition to teaching methods and www.ArtsSouthDakota.org. materials. The three-day institute will include large ensemble
R
Arts Education Institute
celebrates 20 years
Page 3
Jazz guitar takes Sioux Falls student to Carnegie Hall It’s been a whirlwind year for Sioux Falls Washington High School junior Emmanuel Michael. This spring he was selected to tour with a small jazz combo of elite high school musicians as part of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz peer-to-peer outreach program. This summer he’ll spend two weeks rehearsing with the New York Orchestra Jazz band of 24 young musicians, play a concert with the group at Carnegie Hall and then travel for two weeks in Asia, playing jazz guitar and making new friends. The NYO Jazz tour, led by trumpet legend Sean Jones and renowned jazz singer Kurt Elling, will travel to China, South Korea and Taiwan. The program, in its second year, gives outstanding young jazz musicians from across the country the opportunity to perform as cultural ambassadors, sharing a uniquely American musical genre with cultures around the world. It’s the chance to play with world-class musicians that has Michael excited about the summer opportunity. “I’m looking forward to playing with some of my heroes in music,” Michael said. “All those kids play at such a professional level, I’ll be getting my butt kicked. But getting to hear them play for hours on end—that will be great.”
Emmanuel Michael
His NYO band mates will probably feel the same way about hearing Michael play, according to Washington High School director of bands Kiley Coyne. The Hancock Institute directors chose Michael to participate in their tour as soon as they heard him perform with his high school group when the 2018 Hancock combo played at Washington High School. Normally, all Hancock Institute student musicians are recruited from one of 11 national performing arts high schools in major metropolitan areas. Because of his talent, Michael was immediately recognized as the kind of student the Hancock tour wanted—and he was added to the 2019 roster. Coyne said college music programs have also been keeping an eye on Michael since his freshman year, shortly after he taught himself to play guitar—just one of the instruments he’s mastered. Emmanuel Michael (left) teaching peerto-peer at McLain High School in Tulsa, OK during the Herbie Hancock tour. Photo by Bart Marantz.
Page 4
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
“If there’s a part that needs to be covered, we’ll ask “I like being in an environment where there’s a lot of love,” Emmanuel,” Coyne said. “We needed a tuba in our concert he said. “I don’t see the competition, just the talent level and band, so that’s what he plays. Recently, we asked him to fill in the hard work by other students. I like making music and I like on drums and, four days later, he had the drums. The best part the kids—you make lifelong friends.” is his ear for it. The mechanical things are simple for him—he Those musical contacts are as important to Michael at just thinks about how it should sound.” Washington High School as on the international stage. Michael has always been surrounded by music. His parents “When I’m playing with other people, I push my ear toward are immigrants, and his father plays piano and sings in their them,” he said. “Music is interactive—you base what you can do church. Michael grew up setting the stage for church ensembles off them. I feel like I can learn from other people’s playing, and he developed his ear for music from Sudanese hymnals. He wherever I am.” took percussion lessons in fifth grade, learned tuba in seventh With his senior year still ahead of him, Michael isn’t making grade and picked up the saxophone in eighth grade, marching any plans for the future, besides knowing he will attend college with a sax until he became the Washington marching band somewhere—and knowing that he’ll keep making music. drum major. His method of learning “I love Sioux Falls,” he said, “but to play different instruments is I want to see the world and become “When I’m playing with other people, more well-rounded. I want to keep uniquely his own. “I try not think about it,” he making relationships with other I push my ear toward them. said. “If you want to sound good, people and see what’s out there.” Music is interactive... imagine how it sounds to your ear. Coyne believes that Michael’s It’s better not to overcomplicate. future lies in performing and is I feel like I can learn from other If you think about each step in helping him prepare for the musical people’s playing, wherever I am.” driving—how hard to step on the challenges ahead. gas pedal, which mirror should I be “We’re doing what we can to looking at, all the individual details—you can’t do it. With music, help Emmanuel understand that he can do anything with his you have to take a breath and use your ear.” talent,” she said. “He’ll be able to choose a place to pursue his After hearing about the NYO Jazz program on Facebook, education with a full ride scholarship, and then I hope he will Michael applied to be part of the 2019 band. He wrote an essay advance to a larger music scene, where his talent really lies.” and sent in a video interview and an audio audition recording. For now, making new friends and seeing a bit of the world It wasn’t easy getting a spot in this touring big band, but the with them is enough for Emmanuel Michael and his guitar. competitive nature of being one of 24 elite high school “Whatever happens, happens,” he said. “I’m going to musicians playing on the Carnegie Hall stage isn’t the important involve myself in music wherever I go—I just love making music thing to Michael. with other people.” The Herbie Hancock Institute National Performing Arts High School All-Star Peer-to-Peer Jazz Sextet, with Emmanuel Michael on guitar. Photo by Bart Marantz.
Page 5
A conversation with Christine Stewart-Nuñez
B
Beginning July 1, 2019, South Dakota will have a new Poet Laureate. South Dakota State University professor and lifelong poet Christine Stewart-Nuñez was chosen by Governor Kristi Noem at the recommendation of the State Poetry Society. She is the author of several poetry collections, including Postcard on Parchment (2008), Keeping Them Alive (2010), Untrussed (2016) and Bluewords Greening, which received the 2018 Whirling Prize from Etchings Press. She was named as 2018 Author of the Year by the South Dakota Council of Teachers of English and her work has appeared in Arts & Letters, North American Review, Prairie Schooner and Shenandoah. As Stewart-Nuñez begins her four-year term, she is already planning to compile an anthology of poems focused on South Dakota. She hopes to widen the conversation about poetry throughout the state during her tenure.
Arts Alive: Has poetry always been a part of your life?
Christine Stewart-Nuñez: My oldest poetry artifact is from
new sights. It takes me a while to become grounded in a place— but I think I’m settled in South Dakota. My last two books are set here, imagining the prairie as a historical place. The poems I’m working on right now are more South Dakota. My husband studies architecture around South Dakota and so towns around the state are popping up in my poetry—in both natural and urban landscapes.
What is on your agenda for your term as Poet Laureate?
It’s my goal to edit an anthology of poetry about South Dakota the third grade, filled with artwork and poems about bugs and written by South Dakotans. I hope to begin conversations in butterflies. Once I began writing, I never really stopped. Every classrooms about poetry, since it’s my job to focus on the time I tried to stop writing because poetry happening here. I think that I thought nobody would read it, begins with having students write I Wonder I started again—it’s an integral part of and read their own poems. who I am. For a time I was the editor of about perspective; we finish I never imagined that I’d be a Pasque Petals, the South Dakota less what’s farther away. Here’s poet laureate for a state or write State Poetry Society’s journal. One a petal, flower, bush, garden; books or get a PhD or teach people of the delights was publishing new there a horizon of trees, landscape about writing. I just put my hat in the poets. It’s great to shake the trees framed east and west. I wonder ring and do it. I got my first full-time and see what poets fall out. I’ll be teaching job by returning a phone call talking to people in communities and about distance—here Izhvesk, from a director of a school in Tarsus, they’ll admit to writing their own work. islands, Italy, India; there Jupiter and Mercury diminished Turkey. Three days later I interviewed, That’s the way we can bring poetry in the heavens. I wonder about and three weeks after that I was living out. As Poet Laureate, I’d like to in a foreign country. That experience generate more conversations about shifts. Here’s a cubed melon, bowl energized my poetry and led to my poetry all over the state and spotlight of cream, mint leaf, spoon, cloth first book, Postcard on Parchment. the original poetry of South Dakotans. napkin; there the slant of light that alters the color of the fruit’s
Does geography shape your poetry? My poems utilize place as a lens to focus my experiences. As poets we try not to use abstractions, but to build on images. I try to look at where I’m at, and travel makes me aware of my surroundings, ready to explore
Page 6
flesh. I wonder how we can trust what we see. Here’s the spark and there the wind that fuels it up— a ribbon of flame. I wonder why everything dissolves when we look away.
From “Untrussed” by Christine Stewart-Nuñez.
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
Levitt at the Falls opens first free summer concert series Five diverse music series are on tap this summer as Levitt at the Falls begins its 2019 inaugural season, scheduled from June 14 through August 10. The new Sioux Falls venue has assembled a collection of professional artists to perform 30 FREE concerts at the newly constructed Levitt Shell in Falls Park West, near downtown. The season features 10 South Dakota, 10 regional and 10 national and international professional performers offering a variety of genres and musical styles. The concerts will be at 7 pm on select Wednesday-Saturday nights throughout the summer and 5 pm on Sundays with pre-show opening acts featuring many local performers, food and drink vendors and lawn activities starting one hour before each concert. “We are delighted to reveal the line-up of artists we will be bringing to Levitt at the Falls to perform 30 free concerts this summer,” said Nancy Halverson, Executive Director of Levitt at the Falls. “What was once a deserted brown field in the center of downtown is now a welcoming destination for our entire community.” Opening night on Friday, June 14 for Levitt at the Falls will feature GRAMMY-nominated, gospel and blues sensation Ruthie Foster. Austin, TX-based Foster and her band will open the Levitt season with a dynamic, not-to-be missed performance.
Brulé will perform July 27 as part of the World Music Series.
The five music series included in the inaugural season:
Americana Series: Spooncat! (July 11), Jonathan
Byrd & the Pickup Cowboys (July 13), John King (July 26), Burlap Wolf King (July 28), The Way Down Wanderers (August 2) and the Pistol Whippin Party Penguins (August 3).
Rock Series: 4th of July with the SD Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame featuring Mogen’s Heroes, the Fabulous Jadesmen and The Pilgrims (July 4), Judd Hoos (July 5), The People Brothers Band (July 6), The Cole Allen Band (July 12), The Twilight Hours (August 1) and Kory & the Fireflies (August 10).
Women of Song Series: Sam Miltich & The
Clearwater Hot Club (June 20), Davina & the Vagabonds (June 21), Jami Lynn (June 27), Louis York and the Shindellas (June 29), Annie Mack (August 4) and Farewell Angelina (August 9).
World Music Series: Flor de Toloache (June 15),
Rhythm Collective (June 22), Eleanor Dubinsky (July 25), Brulé (July 27) and The High Kings (August 8).
Ruthie Foster and her band will open the inaugural season for Levitt at the Falls.
The Family Series: Phil Baker (June 16), Shamarr Allen (June 19), Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience (June 28), Gaelynn Lea (June 30), Jazz Diversity Project (July 14) and the JAS Quintet (July 18).
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
Page 7
her FLAG
Detail of the Her Flag project South Dakota stripe featuring “Suffragist Sue” by Klaire Lockheart.
celebrates Women’s Suffrage with art he 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote in U.S. elections following decades of crusading by courageous American suffragists, will be celebrated in 2020. Her Flag is an inspirational and unique work of art being created by 36 individual artists—one in each state which ratified the 19th Amendment a century ago. Her Flag was conceived and is being coordinated by Marilyn Artus, an Oklahoma visual artist whose work explores the female experience and women’s issues. Beginning this year, Artus will travel the path of ratification, visiting each state in the order of their approval of the 19th Amendment, assembling a massive American flag with 36 stripes. Each stripe is a work of art created by one artist in her home state to be stitched into the monumental flag by the culmination of the Her Flag road trip. The South Dakota stripe was created by Klaire Lockheart and will be added to Her Flag during January, 2020 ceremonies in Pierre celebrating our state’s ratification of the amendment. Lockheart’s stripe, six inches high and 26 feet long, is called “Suffragist Sue.” “My work deals with serious subjects using humor to broaden the audience,” Lockheart said. “I dressed toy dinosaurs as suffragists, complete with sashes, hats and protest signs— eight scenes that stretch six and half feet, repeating four times in the 26 foot length.” Lockheart was careful to choose only dinosaurs whose fossils have been found in South Dakota, and named her stripe after the state’s world-famous T. Rex, Sue. The dino suffragist scenes are silk screened on fabric and stitched together to form the stripe that will be added to Her Flag in Pierre. Lockheart said she answered a national call for artists to become part of the project and was “extremely excited” when she was chosen. She submitted previous work, including her Domestic Sarcasm series, and an artist’s statement and has
T
Klaire Lockheart with her printmaking screens.
Page 8
experience in printmaking and fiber art. Lockheart views the project as an inspiring and dramatic artistic endeavor. “I didn’t know how big this was until I saw a list of the other artists chosen,” she said. “These are high-achieving, nationally-known artists. I’m proud to be working with them to create Her Flag.” For more information, tour maps and schedules, visit www.herflag.com.
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
POETRY OUT LOUD: Changing students, sparking compassion By Gage Gramlick, 2018 and 2019 South Dakota Poetry Out Loud winner
Gage Gramlick won the South Dakota State Poetry Out Loud competition in 2018 and 2019, earning a trip to the POL National Finals in Washington, DC, both years. In 2018, he took top prize in the original spoken word category, Poetry Ourselves, at the National Finals. In 2019, he finished among the top nine in the nation, advancing to the final round and winning a $1,000 prize.
At the heart of my Poetry Out Loud experience is connection. With the words. With the poets. With the students. Poetry Out Loud facilitates unity through education in the most miraculous way: compassion. My junior year, I decided to partake. I thought it would be similar to oral interpretation: competitive, strategic, an excuse to get up and disseminate my thoughts. Upon my deep dive into poetry, however, I discovered a program that doesn’t merely prop students up, but also cultivates them, forces them to confront ideas they’ve always assumed true. I read “The Mortician in San Francisco” by Randall Mann and was consequently emerged in a history I never even knew existed. Furthermore, I connected to that history; I felt pain and pride through poetry. This tether to the abstract and the real, what we feel and what we know, is unique to poetry. The words and how they’re arranged allow us to enter into the mental landscape of the poet, to be unwittingly empathetic—apply this to history, social justice, politics, etc. and the product is compassion and unity. The proof that POL is an incubator for boundless kindness is in the pudding, the students. I had the incredible opportunity to attend Nationals my junior and senior years; there, I encountered some of the most amazingly impassioned and patient kids I’ve ever met. It’s important to note that the awards for POL champs are generous to say the least. With a grand prize of $20,000, one might expect a hypercompetitive environment. Much to my surprise, however, my fellow competitors were not only supportive, they genuinely sought to learn from one another—technically speaking, sure, but also in philosophy and experience. They wanted to grow as people, with poetry as the starting point.
At the end of the day, I will always contend that POL is the best program in the U.S. Fundamentally, it changed me. Before POL, I thought I was going to be a doctor. A doctor! That would have been bad for me and my patients. It opened my eyes to who I am and to the many different ways we can all coexist. POL introduced me to the power of language as a catalyst for empathy-induced change. If we want to see a world connected instead of divided, open instead of closed, we need to encourage more kids to read poetry. POL is the perfect way to do just that.
Gage Gramlick at the Poetry Out Loud Congressional Lunch (above), and performing at the National Finals (above right). Photos by James Kegley.
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
Page 9
The French Connection: Lopez sculptures find European homes
T
The life-sized scrap metal sculptures of John Lopez are familiar to South Dakotans from his installations throughout the state and at his studio on Main Street in Lemmon. Thanks to two new commissions this spring, works by Lopez are also in the spotlight at two French locations. “It was completely serendipitous,” Lopez said. “I had calls for two sculptures in France, and both were to be unveiled a week apart. I was able to kill two birds with one stone on this trip.” The first commission was for a full-sized American bison for an animal park in Sainte Croix, France, opening a new North American animal exhibit. Le Nouveau Monde at Sainte Croix is a new 8.5 hectare enclosure, home to bison, black bears, coyotes, raccoons, wild turkeys, prairie dogs, porcupines and skunks, a total of 1,500 animals representing 130 American species. The “New World” exhibit includes a themed restaurant, a large play area and two new types of lodges to sleep close to the animals, plus a reception area for all lodges in the park. Lopez created “King of the Plains,” one of his iconic bison sculptures from scrap metal
and equipment parts, to honor the heritage of the Wild West. The work will be a central feature, anchoring the New World animal habitats with a recognizably American image. About the same time, French artist Stéphane Bolongaro was organizing a gala ceremony and celebration of the 90th anniversary of Princess Grace of Monaco, the legendary U.S. actress Grace Kelly. A selection of paintings, sculptures and creations by 50 artists, specifically designed for this occasion, were assembled to pay tribute to Grace Kelly as an actress, mother and princess for the exposition. “Since the art show was being held in the museum where the Grimaldi collection of classic cars is displayed, Bolongaro had an idea for me to sculpt an Oscar from car parts,” Lopez said. “My sister and I flew to France, attended the ceremonies and got to meet the Prince and a lot of other European celebrities who came for the celebration.” Monaco’s Prince Albert II spent a little time with each artist at the gala opening, sharing with Lopez the information that the Prince’s father enjoyed welding and creating work with metal, too.
“Oscar” by John Lopez, above, is one of 50 works of art commissioned to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Princess Grace of Monaco, U.S. actress Grace Kelly.
At left, Monaco’s Prince Albert II talks with sculptor John Lopez (right) at the opening night reception for the Grace Kelly exhibition. Photo by Philip Ducap.
Page 10
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
“It really was a once-in-alifetime experience,” Lopez said. “Both the park organizers and the Monaco exhibition planners saw my work online and decided it was right for them.” Lopez also spent a week at Sainte Croix, staying with the park director and attending events to discuss his work, including a presentation to French elementary school children. Now he’s back in South Dakota, adding a sculpture garden next to the Lemmon gallery to expand the opportunity for visitors to see his work. “We needed an outdoor space to show some of the sculptures,” Lopez said. “They really belong outside where the light can hit them, whether they’re here in South Dakota or in a park in France.”
‘King of the Plains” by John Lopez was created for Le Nouveau Monde, a North American animal park and visitor attraction near Sainte Croix, France.
R
enee Berg, middle school art instructor for the Mitchell Public Schools, is the 2019-2020 Art Educator of the Year, chosen by her peers in the South Dakota Art Education Association. Berg has been a teacher since 1986, teaching in Buffalo County, NE, Mitchell Christian and Mitchell Public Schools. Her education includes a BA from the University of Nebraska-Kearney, a Masters in Educational Leadership from Southwestern University of Minnesota and an MA in Pastoral Ministry from Wesley Seminary in Marion, IN. When she is not working with students in her art classroom, Berg enjoys the outdoors, working in youth ministry, reading, travel and leading short mission trips to Mexico and Guatemala.
Mitchell teacher is Art Educator of the Year
Arts Alive: What has shaped your work as a teacher and artist? Renee Berg: I recently spent some time in Uganda immersing myself in the culture. While there I was repeatedly asked to introduce myself. In Uganda when you explain your identity, it does not include what you do for a living, or what we in America would consider our accolades; it is your relationships that define you. I have been married to my husband for 32 years, we have two grown children, both are married. I am surrounded by a supportive staff of fellow educators who sharpen each other under the leadership of an accommodating principal. Enjoying who you work with inspires you to be your best.
What motivates you as an educator? Often I am asked what my favorite medium is to work in—and my reply is teens. I like Michelangelo’s quote, “ I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” I view my students that way. You see the best in them and you work at bringing that out.
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
Renee Berg, right, made new friends during her trip to Uganda last summer.
Page 11
Zimmerman landscapes displayed at the Dahl
D
Dividing Lines brings Mark Zimmerman’s regional abstracted landscape paintings and his smaller ink transfer drawings finished with watercolor together in a summer exhibit at the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City. Both bodies of work offer a contrast of two interpretations of living in the northern high plains. The larger acrylics are lushly painted using intense color and lots of texture to create a rich, vibrant surface, while the ink transfer drawings are quickly rendered line sketches recording a landscape that the artist has known intimately his entire life. The Rapid City Arts Council presents the show through August 17 in the Inez & Milton Shaver Gallery. The Dahl Arts Center galleries are open Monday-Friday, 10 am-6 pm and Saturday, 10 am-5 pm. Admission is free; however, for those with the ability to pay, donations are encouraged and appreciated. For more information about upcoming exhibits, visit www.thedahl.org.
REDCAN 2019 announces artists and dates The fifth annual RedCan Graffiti Jam is slated for June 19-22 in Eagle Butte. The Cheyenne River Youth Project graffiti jam will feature acclaimed returning graffiti artists East, Wundr, Ryoe, Cyfi, Sadat, Scape, Dwayno Insano, Siamese, Hoka, Biafra Inc., Tuke and DeKae. All 12 artists will be painting in CRYP's Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count) Art Park, as well as at select mural sites around Eagle Butte. Something different is planned to make this summer a special edition of the popular local art paint-in, so check out the RedCan 2019 teaser video. To see the RedCan videos, get details on this year’s event or to see past RedCan galleries and stories, go to lakotayouth.org/redcan.
Page 12
Mark Zimmerman’s “Silver Skies Silver Sage.”
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
Watercolor masters JOIN IN WASHINGTON PAVILION SHOW
“Orange Beauty” by Janet Judson.
A selection of South Dakota’s most popular and accomplished watercolor painters have contributed works for an exhibit running through August 18 in the Visual Arts Center at the Washington Pavilion in downtown Sioux Falls. Presented in collaboration with the Great Plains Watercolor Society, Watercolor on the Plains celebrates some of South Dakota’s most skilled watercolorists. Works by Jon Crane, Bill Feterl, Bonnie Halsey-Dutton, Janet Judson, Daniel Parsons, James Pollock, Stephen H. Randall, Mary Selvig, Barbara Sparks, BJ Stych and Judy Thompson join paintings by Sioux Falls artist Marian Henjum for an exploration of the art of watercolor and a tribute to Henjum’s memory. Experience bright washes of color and detailed natural scenes, and learn more about how artists create watercolor magic. For details on this and other summer presentations, visit www.washingtonpavilion.org.
South Dakota Art Museum features Nelson paintings
S.D. Nelson: Sharing My Vision presents a selection of original artworks by this award-winning author and illustrator at the South Dakota Art Museum in Brookings through September 15. Nelson’s fluid style and traditional Native American imagery combines movement, color and form into a visual celebration of life. Nelson is the author and illustrator of 11 children’s books and has received the American Indian Library Association Honor Book Award, among many others. A member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North and South Dakota, Nelson’s paintings offer a fresh contemporary interpretation of traditional Lakota images. He creates ledger drawings in ink and colored pencil and paintings with acrylics, which he brushes, sponges, splatters and sprays. In addition to this work he has painted extensively on animal skins and bone and has crafted traditional rawhide drums and leather beadwork. The South Dakota Art Museum is on the campus of South Dakota State University in Brookings. Hours are Monday-Friday 10 am-5 pm, Saturday 10 am-4 pm and Sunday noon-4 pm. For more information, go to www.sdstate.edu/southdakotaartmuseum.
S
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
S.D. Nelson’s “Lakota-Emergence.”
Page 13
Hitting the high notes Arts South Dakota, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, enriches the lives of South Dakotans and their visitors, by advancing the arts through service, education and advocacy.
Board of Directors
Dale Lamphere, Sturgis, Chair Janet Brown, Sioux Falls, Vice Chair Stacy Braun, Aberdeen, Secretary Brian Hildebrant, Brookings, Treasurer Brian Bonde, Sioux Falls, Past Chair Richard “Dick” Brown, Custer Senator Troy Heinert, Mission Dr. Craig Howe, Martin Katie Hunhoff, Yankton Dr. Alan LaFave, Valley City, ND Ellen Lee, Pierre Katrina Lehr-McKinney, Sioux Falls Shelley Stingley, Sioux Falls
Staff
Jim Speirs, Executive Director jim@ArtsSouthDakota.org 605-252-5979, Ext. 0
Shari Kosel, Program & Communications Director shari@ArtsSouthDakota.org 605-252-5979, Ext. 1 Andrew Reinartz, Community Development Director andrew@ArtsSouthDakota.org 605-252-5979, Ext. 2
PO Box 2496, Sioux Falls, SD 57101-2496 Phone: 605-252-5979 Email: info@ArtsSouthDakota.org Website: www.ArtsSouthDakota.org Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ArtsSD and YouTube.
Page 14
Volunteers are the heart of community arts councils By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota
One of the most vital forces celebrating the creative spirit in South Dakota is the network of community arts councils that spans our state. From Leola to Sioux Falls and from Highmore to Rapid City, community arts councils initiate cultural activities, sponsor hometown performances and are often instrumental in bringing professional artists to town through the Artists In Schools & Communities program of the South Dakota Arts Council. All of the community arts councils in our state—over 30 of them at last count—have one thing in common: they all rely on the passion, commitment and participation of community volunteers. While serving on the local arts council board is a visible form of volunteerism, there are so many other ways local residents can get in on the fun and the accomplishment of enhancing the arts in each hometown. From taking tickets to posting news about upcoming events to sponsoring an artist, neighbors and businesses in each community have a role to play in strengthening local culture. Arts South Dakota is working hard to encourage community arts councils and to help them build capacity. Community Development Director Andrew Reinartz travels the state, meeting with local arts leaders and helping to assess their needs. During the next couple of months, we’ll be conducting a survey of these groups, partly to get a more nuanced picture of our community arts councils and also to listen to what they have to say about South Dakota’s cultural scene. One thing we know we’ll hear loud and clear—dedicated volunteers who care about local arts opportunities are the ones who are making it happen in communities of all sizes, in every corner of the state. The enthusiasm you’ll experience talking to the officers of the newest community arts council in Leola is shared by leaders of the Rapid City Arts Council, who celebrated their 50th anniversary last November. We congratulate everyone who lends a hand to a local arts council—YOU are the heart of the arts in South Dakota. Whether you are a community arts council volunteer, an artist or want to learn more about the arts in South Dakota, visit www.ArtsSouthDakota.org.
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
ARTS HAPPY HOURS connect artists, advocates and community leaders rts South Dakota, with support from the South Dakota Arts Council, is sponsoring a series of Arts Happy Hours around the state this spring. Hosted by Andrew Reinartz, Community Development Director for Arts South Dakota, the gatherings provide an opportunity for the local arts communities to come together in four geographically diverse South Dakota towns. “We’re partnering with four Community Arts Councils to provide advocacy and informational materials about the arts in South Dakota,” Reinartz said. “The Happy Hour concept gives us a chance to build relationships and learn what is happening in a variety of communities around the state in a relaxed, informal setting.”
A
The first Arts Happy Hour was held in May in Hill City at the Firehouse Smokejumper Station. June meetings were held in Faulkton and Aberdeen, with the concluding Happy Hour coming up June 18 in Yankton. For more information, go to www.ArtsSouthDakota.org. “One of our chief goals is to connect the vibrant arts communities around the state and to provide a space for local arts groups, artists and arts supporters to come together,” Reinartz said. “We’re hoping the success of the Happy Hours will lead to more arts meet-ups in other South Dakota communities.”
The first Arts Happy Hour was held in Hill City at the Firehouse Smokejumper Station.
Save the date State Arts Conference planned for May 14-17, 2020
The success of the 2018 State Arts Conference in Sioux Falls has artists, advocates and community art lovers across South Dakota primed for the 2020 edition. The May 14-17, 2020 event—to be held in Rapid City—is in the planning stages now, and you’ll be hearing details throughout the year. Just mark your calendar for the 2020 event and get ready to network, experience, learn and spread your cultural wings at the next State Arts Conference!
Calling all South Dakota arts organizations: Update your info on the State Arts Directory
Everybody knows that getting your name out there is half the battle in marketing—and arts marketing is no exception. That’s why it’s so important for South Dakota arts organizations to be included in the State Arts Directory, now hosted on the Arts South Dakota website. To add your organization’s information or to update your current information, go to this link: https://artssouthdakota.org/arts-directory/. It’s a one-stop shop for cultural organizations in our state— and it’s easy to be included—just send your updated information to shari@ArtsSouthDakota.org.
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
Page 15
Cultural tourism helps drive South Dakotas ’ economy
A state agency of the Department of Tourism
Kristi Noem, Governor James D. Hagen, Secretary
South Dakota Arts Council
Lynne Byrne, Sioux Falls, Chair Mary Bordeaux, Rapid City, Vice Chair Dohui Kim, Sioux Falls, Treasurer Linda Anderson, Rapid City, Secretary Brian Bonde, Sioux Falls Keith BraveHeart, Kyle Laura Diddle, Brookings Mary Haug, Brookings Andrew Kightlinger, Pierre Jane Rasmussen, Sisseton James L. Walker, Bath
Staff
Patrick Baker, Director Rebecca Cruse, Deputy Director Kathryn Vandel, Arts Program Coordinator 711 E. Wells Ave., Pierre, SD 57501-3369 In-State Toll Free: 1-800-952-3625 Email: sdac@state.sd.us Website: www.artscouncil.sd.gov Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @SouthDakotaArts
South Dakota Arts Council receives support from the State of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Page 16
By James D. Hagen, Secretary of Tourism
Many of the 14.1 million visitors to South Dakota last year were drawn here by our unique cultural heritage, our growing creative community and the year-round arts opportunities presented by large cities and small towns throughout the state. According to a new study by Tourism Economics, visitor spending in South Dakota totaled $3.98 billion, an increase of 2.5 percent over the previous year—and a vital part of that growth may be reflected in our expanding cultural tourism sector. South Dakota has a proud history of attracting visitors to share our arts and cultural sites. From the must-see sculptures at Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Crazy Horse Memorial to the music and pageantry of Native American celebrations to the famous paintings of Harvey Dunn in the South Dakota Art Museum, our state has unique cultural attractions that draw visitors from across the nation and around the world. The best part of the summer arts scene in South Dakota is that it’s happening everywhere. Our music festivals range from jazz and blues in Sioux Falls to bluegrass in the Black Hills. Theatrical offerings bring local and tourist audiences drama and comedy from Shakespeare to melodrama, on stages under the stars and in historic buildings. It’s easy to plan stops to catch all the action with directions and details at TravelSouthDakota.com. From the pine covered peaks of the Black Hills to the recreational wonderland that is the Missouri basin to the vastness of the prairie, our creative traditions weave a tapestry of the arts that is South Dakota today. The beauty of that land, the richness of our culture and our appreciation of the arts help draw those millions of visitors to our state every year. I am excited and proud to be a part of the opportunities that grow the arts and tourism in our state.
Celebrate summer! Visit www.TravelSouthDakota.com.
BraveHeart appointed ov. Kristi Noem has appointed artist Keith BraveHeart to serve on the South Dakota Arts Council. BraveHeart is a multimedia artist working primarily in painting, film and community engagement. An advocate for contemporary Native art, his interests include expansion efforts for communitybased arts initiatives in South Dakota, as well as throughout the Northern Plains region. BraveHeart’s artistic vision supports cultural signification as the foundation for art and community. He is also an educator of fine art and works with diverse students throughout the state, including at Oglala Lakota College, where he teaches art as a critical component of life.
G
toSouth Dakota Arts Council
BraveHeart grew up in the Pine Ridge Reservation, in the community of Pejuta Haka “Medicine Root,” also known as Kyle. He is a citizen of the Titonwan (Lakota) Nation of the Oceti Sakowin. BraveHeart attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM, and received his Master of Fine Arts from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. The South Dakota Arts Council is a state agency providing grants and services to artists, arts organizations, schools and other nonprofit organizations in South Dakota with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and the State of South Dakota. The Council is organized under the Department of Tourism.
Congressional Art Competition announces student winners
Remembering Carl Grupp
U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson announced Emily Hughes from Pierre as the South Dakota winner of the 2019 Congressional Art Competition. Hughes won for her acrylic on vinyl painting “Koi,” shown at right, which depicts a swimming koi fish painted on a vinyl record. Hughes is a junior at T.F. Riggs High School, where her art teacher is Jill Kokesh. Hughes’ artwork will hang in the Cannon Tunnel, which runs from the U.S. House of Representatives to the U.S. Capitol, along with the winning artwork from other congressional districts for the next year. Second place was awarded to Ashley Geraets, a senior at Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, taught by Lisa Dresch.
The statewide arts community is diminished by the recent loss of Carl Grupp, prolific artist, inspiring teacher and erudite philosopher of South Dakota culture. Winner of a 2005 Governor’s Award for Creative Achievement, Grupp made the arts a major part of the academic scene at Augustana University in Sioux Falls throughout his life. Grupp’s family has requested that memorial donations be made to Arts South Dakota.
Geraets’ artwork, “Ushinawareta Umi (Lost Ocean),” shown at left, will be displayed in Johnson’s Washington, DC office for the next year. Both of the winning student artworks can be viewed online at www.artscouncil.sd.gov/CAC/index.aspx. The Congressional Art Competition is sponsored by Representative Johnson’s office in partnership with the South Dakota Arts Council. The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982, providing members of Congress with an opportunity to recognize talent in their home districts.
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
Page 17
Summer theater productions offer family fun
Prairie Repertory Theatre took audiences under the sea in their 2018 production of “The Little Mermaid.” Photo: SDSU University Marketing & Communications.
rom the prairies to the Hills, summer theater blossoms in South Dakota as professionals and amateurs hit the boards. For decades, playhouses have been popular destinations for locals and tourists alike. This summer, the offerings range from the most beloved musical comedies to some fascinating new shows. In Custer State Park, the Black Hills Playhouse kicks off its season June 14 with Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood, a classic tale packed with thrills, romance and laughter. The fun continues with Side Show July 5-21, a portrait of two women joined at the hip whose connection brings them fame but denies them love; the legendary musical Mama Mia! July 26-August 11, and Steel Magnolias, a heartwarming portrait of friendship and love, August 16-25. Get ticket information, directions and times at www.blackhillsplayhouse.com. Prairie Repertory Theatre once again brings great summer entertainment to both Brookings and Brandon. This summer’s shows include Father of the Bride, the classic story of family dynamics mashed by wedding planning; Beehive: The 60s Musical, the ultimate celebration of 1960s female empowerment; Insane with Power, a super comedy of heroic proportions, and The Wizard of Oz, the ultimate A scene from the recent Pierre Players production of “Born Yesterday.” Photo by Studio 212 Photography. magical musical. The complete calendar of performances in both cities is available at www.prairierep.org or by calling 605-688-6045. This year’s Pierre Players summer musical is Peter and the Starcatcher, the Tony-winning story of a miserable orphan who comes to be The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up—also known as Peter Pan. The show uses ingenious stagecraft and the limitless possibilities of imagination to bring the story to life. Peter runs July 19-21 and July 25-27, with a preview performance on July 17. Go to www.pierreplayers.com for ticket information or to learn how to be part of the fun. Fort Sisseton Historic State Park is the home of Northern Fort Playhouse, offering two summer shows. In the company’s 2019 season at the historic site, visitors will see Daddy Long Legs, an intimate new musical that has charmed audiences from Los Angeles to London, alternating July weekends with SHOUT! The Mod Musical, a swinging 60s sensation. For show times, dates and reserved ticket information, visit www.northernfortplayhouse.com. This summer, Sioux Falls is a great place to catch the enthusiasm of young actors discovering live theater. The Sioux Empire Community The Sioux Empire Community Theatre children’s summer camp Theatre is presenting three shows as final performances of summer production of “Madagascar.” camps for kids. The campers will rehearse junior productions of Singin’ in
F
Page 18
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
the Rain, 101 Dalmations and Peter Pan. For camp and show dates, or to enroll a child, go to www.siouxfallstheatre.com/theatre-camps. With the return of the comedy melodrama, The Phantom of The Matthews Opera House, the venerable Spearfish theater celebrates its roots. Written for the Matthews in 1976 by Paul Higbee, the show brings a cast from Black Hills State University’s theater department to one of the West’s oldest venues. Don’t miss the heckling cowboys and vivacious card girl! Opened in 1906, the Opera House is located at 612 Main Street, Spearfish, just above the Matthews Art Gallery. For show times, tickets and more information, visit www.matthewsopera.com. That’s just a sampling of the theatrical productions you can see in South Dakota this summer, so be sure to check in with the many theaters operating across the state for summer schedules. For other ideas for cultural activities, go to www.TravelSouthDakota.com or check out the summer Arts Calendar at www.ArtsSouthDakota.org. “The Phantom of The Matthews Opera House” means summer fun in Spearfish. Photo courtesy of The Matthews Opera House & Arts Center.
Exhibition chronicles unique Lakota saga
Photo courtesy of the South Dakota State Historical Society.
Remembering Charles Nauman Writer, filmmaker and arts advocate Charles Nauman passed away in late December of 2018, leaving a legacy of lives touched, visions shared and arts advanced in South Dakota. Winner of a 1988 Governor’s Award for Creative Achievement, Nauman is mourned by the creative community across the state and friends throughout the nation that he made during a lifetime of artistic endeavor.
The story of an Oglala Lakota family is documented in a new exhibition at the Center for Western Studies on the Augustana University campus in Sioux Falls. Seven Generations: Mending the Hoop will run in the Madsen/Nelson/Elmen Galleries of the Fantle Building through September 6. At the invitation of members of the Pipe On Head family in Oglala Lakota County, artist Carolyne D. Landon chronicled seven generations of life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation since the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre through paintings of Chief Big Foot and his Pipe On Head grandsons up to the present generation. James Pipe On Head, a grandson of Chief Big Foot, survived the massacre as a ten-year-old boy and later became the president of the Oglala Wounded Knee Survivors Association. He testified in 1938 before Congress seeking reparations for the survivors and families of those who died in the massacre. Pipe On Head’s historical testimony describing this event as a massacre influenced the public memory of what happened at Wounded Knee in December of 1890. Landon is an interdisciplinary artist whose paintings, drawings and prints have been exhibited in museums and commercial galleries in the USA, Korea and China. Her illustra“Spotted Elk” by Carolyne Landon. tions have appeared in The Smithsonian Magazine, and her writing and photography published by The Nature Conservancy. Landon’s work as a courtroom television news artist appeared for several years on NBC-TV News and in The Washington Post. An artist reception for Seven Generations: Mending the Hoop will be held July 24 from 6-8 pm. For more information, visit www.augie.edu/center-for-western-studies.
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
Page 19
Arts South Dakota
PO Box 2496 Sioux Falls, SD 57101-2496
Arts South Dakota is a grassroots, nonproďŹ t, nonpartisan organization working to enrich the lives of all South Dakotans by advancing the arts through service, education and advocacy. Join us in our efforts to keep the arts strong and vibrant today and tomorrow. Your donation to Arts South Dakota will enable us to continue our work for the arts—and will keep Arts Alive coming directly to your mailbox. Please join Arts South Dakota today. Give securely online at
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org to help grow the arts in our state.