ArtsSouthDakota.org • 2025 Member Edition • 1
Sunrise at Sylvan by Allison Russell of Mitchell.
Chasing the Sun by Jennifer Stone of Watertown.
Presence of a Hero by Roger Broer of Hill City.
The Last Battle by Hector Curriel of Sioux Falls.
2025 | VOLUME 27
inside
02 A n Arts Voice for All Arts South Dakota strengthens our cultural bonds. By Jim Speirs
03 D onor Spotlights Champions of the arts.
04 W hy We Support the Arts Fresh perspective from an empty nester. By Patrick Baker
05 Y ou Can’t Make This Up The unlikely story of the hit movie East of Wall. By Bernie Hunhoff
09 B ehind the Scenes Arts news and notes.
14 U nforgotten Poet Rediscovering Lead’s Roberta Robertson. By Bernie Hunhoff
18 B rushing Up Happenings across South Dakota’s arts scene.
22 S upporters Thank you to the people who make our work possible.
Spring Sensations by DeVee Dietz of Sturgis.
On the cover: House of Clouds by Susan
Hartenhoff Haygood of Garretson is one of 10 new pieces added to the state’s art collection in 2025 through the Art for State Buildings program. The other pieces shown on these pages were also chosen as part of the collection, which is located in Pierre and has grown to 135 pieces. View the online gallery: www.artworkarchive.com/profile/ southdakotaartscouncil
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 your new mailing address information. Arts Alive is published by Arts South Dakota and the South Dakota Arts Council in partnership with South Dakota Magazine. Contact Arts South Dakota at P.O. Box 2496, Sioux Falls, SD 57101-2496 or by phone (605) 252-5979.
ArtsSouthDakota.org • 2025 Member Edition • 1
AN ARTS VOICE FOR EVERY SOUTH DAKOTAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHAIR: Rodney Garnett, Spearfish PAST CHAIR: Jim Mathis, Sioux Falls VICE-CHAIR: Ashley Pourier, Porcupine SECRETARY: Keith BraveHeart, Kyle TREASURER: Patri Acevedo Fuentes,
Rapid City Jacqui Dietrich, Rapid City Lawrence Diggs, Roslyn Deonne Kahler, Rapid City Dale Lamphere, Sturgis Patrick McGowan, Sioux Falls Reynold Nesiba, Sioux Falls Michael Pangburn, Pierre Kenny Putnam, Longmont, CO Jane Rasmussen, Sisseton Larry Rohrer, Beresford Lynn Verschoor, Brookings Kris Wollman, Mitchell STAFF Jim Speirs Executive Director jim@ArtsSouthDakota.org (605) 252-5979, Ext. 0 Shari Kosel Program and Communications Director shari@ArtsSouthDakota.org (605) 252-5979, Ext. 1 Sarah Larson Communications Coordinator sarah@ArtsSouthDakota.org (605) 252-5979, Ext. 3
Amanda Levesque Director of Development Services amanda@ArtsSouthDakota.org (605) 252-5979, Ext. 4 Arts South Dakota PO Box 2496, Sioux Falls, SD 57101-2496 (605) 252-5979 Email: info@ArtsSouthDakota.org ArtsSouthDakota.org Follow us on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram @ArtsSD
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director Arts South Dakota
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outh Dakota is a land of diversity, from our sweeping and soaring geography to our regionalized industries to our proud Native and immigrant forbearers. The arts in South Dakota are no less diverse — if anything, the creative vision of our citizens is as distinctive as each of them. From schoolrooms to local theater and musical groups to the solid contingent of professional artists who make our state their home, a vast panoply of creative expression is being manifested — and enjoyed — by all South Dakotans. Created to be a unifying voice for the arts in every community, Arts South Dakota exists to cultivate, enhance and strengthen the rich cultural climate of our state. We are a consistent ally for artists, cultural organizations, performance venues, art teachers, creative community cohorts and aspiring musicians in every corner of South Dakota. We speak for the arts, for the creative spark that is in each of us and for the importance of the cultural environment that inspires us and makes our society better for everyone. The creative community is significant to all Americans — and the role of a non-partisan, unifying advocacy voice is to keep that community healthy and strong. We connect all South Dakotans through their belief that the arts play a vital part in education, enterprise and everyday life. Arts South Dakota is here to remind all of us that we are better people — and a better state — because we work together to strengthen the creative and cultural bonds that make South Dakota unique. It’s a responsibility that we take very seriously. As we travel to large and small communities throughout the state, we see the results of our advocacy and ample reasons for optimism about the future of the arts. We’re excited to be a voice for the connections that create South Dakota culture. To learn more about arts advocacy and ways in which you can be part of this vision, visit us at www.artssouthdakota.org.
Donor Spotlights Community Through Creativity A DONOR SPOTLIGHT: YANKTON AREA ARTS At Yankton Area Arts, creativity is part of daily community life — from exhibitions and concerts to youth programs and partnerships that welcome artists of all ages and abilities. Executive Director Rose Hauger says this work reflects the organization’s belief in the power of the arts. “Art connects us in ways words sometimes can’t — it brings people together, builds confidence and reminds us that creativity lives in everyone,” she says. One example is YAA’s partnership with Ability Building Services. With community support, YAA created a weekly art program for three
ABS groups. This fall, the program celebrated its two-year milestone with a full-day art outing that included a printmaking demo at Cloud Shadow Studio Gallery in Wakonda and a private tour of the Coyote Gallery. Participants called it one of the best days of their year. Hauger, who has led YAA for the past three and a half years, brings a lifelong passion for the arts and a background in interior design to her role. Her team works to make the arts accessible, joyful and welcoming — work made stronger through YAA’s connection to arts organizations across the state.
All Art Matters Ellen and Tom Lee of Pierre are longtime supporters of the arts in South Dakota. They believe the arts provide immediate and long-term impacts that make South Dakota a better place to live, do business and raise a family. “It doesn’t matter if you are lucky enough to visit your favorite artist works in Paris, or if you are watching your grandchild discover the joy of mixing yellow and blue paint to create a new color, art changes lives,” Ellen says. “Art brings out the very best in every human. All art matters — the written and spoken word, visual arts, music, dance. We construct a better home, community and state because of art. “Even though I have told my artistic friends that while I regret not being an artist myself, I can be the very best art supporter I can through our attendance, appreciation and financial support so true South Dakota artists can excel. They bring us joy.”
Ellen Lee with a painting by one of her favorite artists, Claude Monet, in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. ArtsSouthDakota.org • 2025 Member Edition • 3
REMEMBERING WHY WE SUPPORT THE ARTS A STATE AGENCY OF TRAVEL SOUTH DAKOTA Larry Rhoden, Governor James D. Hagen, Secretary BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHAIR: Joanna Lawler, Rapid City
VICE-CHAIR: John Mogen, Sioux Falls TREASURER: Dohui Kim, Sioux Falls
SECRETARY: Cristen Roghair, Okaton
Mary Bordeaux, Rapid City Sara Mulder, Sioux Falls Jane Rasmussen, Sisseton Joshua Spies, Sioux Falls Jim Walker, Bath STAFF Patrick Baker Executive Director patrick.baker@state.sd.us (605) 773-5507
Kate Vandel Arts Grants Manager & Accessibility Coordinator kathryn.vandel@state.sd.us (605) 773-5925 Sarah Carlson Communications and Community Relations Coordinator sarah.carlson@state.sd.us (605) 773-3102 Anne Hatch S.D. Folk & Traditional Arts, Program Manager sdtraditionalarts@outlook.com (605) 608-0490 South Dakota Arts Council 711 E. Wells Avenue Pierre, SD 57501 Fax: (605) 773-5977 Email: sdac@state.sd.us ArtsCouncil.sd.gov Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or LinkedIn @SouthDakotaArtsCouncil
By Patrick Baker, Executive Director South Dakota Arts Council
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t the time of this writing, the dog days of summer were starting to fall to — well, fall. And shifting seasons and helping your kid prepare to go back to college are certainly powerful reminders of transition. Add to that the South Dakota Arts Council approaching its 60th anniversary in 2026 against the backdrop of meaningful transformation, and the temptation to write about change was almost too great to resist. But I wrote about that two years ago, and SDAC’s still evolving (e.g., significant changes to organizational grants will soon be implemented, the agency’s roster-artist programs are in the middle of a deep review, a website redesign is imminent, etc.). Instead, I’ll focus on WHY we support the arts in the first place but from my own perspective. Our youngest child gave us many reasons to enjoy the arts through his activities when at home and eventually joined his mother and me in making music; we helped with music at church, then performed as a trio as well as with other friends in a rock band, ultimately recording and self-producing an album for vinyl/streaming release. It was enough to keep us all busy and creatively engaged when combined with other individual pursuits, so there was a void to fill when he graduated and went his own direction. This summer marked two years of an empty nest. That first year I had the best of intentions of keeping the creativity flowing but mostly spent it “feathering the nest” by buying musical toys; it was a start, but the nest still felt awfully empty. The second year I swore I would do more by “saying yes” to my main creative endeavor of music whenever it called. The thing about saying yes to your own desire to get back on the creative horse is you actually have to show up and work. In my case it requires balancing my day job and personal life — nests already brimming with eggs — with my desire to connect with the world on a creative level. It’s not easy, but maybe it’s not supposed to be, as it seems the best things in life take true effort. What I can say for sure is this: Saying yes to my creative side over the past year has done much more than keep me busy; it’s reminded me WHY the Arts Council supports the work of so many artists and arts organizations across South Dakota — because I believe art is elemental and that creativity is the best path toward health, happiness, and understanding. Though much has changed with the South Dakota Arts Council’s strategic planning over the course of its 59-year history, and the current plan heralds a new vision for the state arts agency, SDAC’s essential means to these ends should feel familiar: We help artists and communities achieve their work through grantmaking, policymaking, partnership and advising.
The South Dakota Arts Council 2024-2029 Strategic Plan may be viewed in the “About Us” section of SDAC’s website at artscouncil.sd.gov. 4 • South Dakota Arts Alive • ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS UP West River docufiction stars real people, real landscapes, real struggles Story by Bernie Hunhoff
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OUTH DAKOTA theater buffs enjoyed a front row seat to the age-old balancing act between fact and fiction thanks to a new film titled East of Wall, which premiered in theaters last summer. The movie stars Tabatha Zimiga, a blonde, brash horse trainer who welcomes hungry and homeless youth to her brown trailer house, located north of the Badlands and the Pine Ridge Reservation. In real life, Zimiga is a blonde but softer-spoken horse trainer who lives in the very same white metal trailer that serves as a
main set for the film. Zimiga says the movie accurately portrays her life — the chaos and the rural ethos of life on her hardscrabble Flyin’ N Ranch where next week’s groceries hinge on whether a horse sells. Zimiga’s daughter Porshia, 17, her son Stetson, 6, and other family members and friends play themselves in the movie. Two professional actors filled fictional roles in a made-up story about a Texan who wants to buy the ranch. Everybody else plays themselves, though Zimiga says her
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daughter, Porshia, isn’t as brash as she appears in scenes. “They provoked her a little to get her going. She’s really a sweet kid.” The camera loves Porshia. So do buyers, who raise their bids when she performs tricks and stunts on the horses at an auction barn in nearby Gordon, Nebraska. The teen never performed in school plays, but she dominates the screen in scene after scene. Jason Knowles, an Aberdeen filmmaker who teaches at Northern State University, says the blend of fact and fiction is not new. “Films like this have been made for decades, going back to the entire history of film. I think the director here was really smart in how she put this together. It always felt like fiction. It always 6 • South Dakota Arts Alive • ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
played as a dramatization and not a re-enactment.” That’s high praise, especially considering that East of Wall is Kate Beecroft’s first full-length film. The Los Angeles native is a writer, actress and director who honed her talents at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Beecroft was exploring the American West in 2019, looking for inspiration. She didn’t know if she was in Nebraska or South Dakota. The filmmaker had made a wrong turn near Oelrichs — south of the Black Hills — while scouting film locations. A local woman kindly allowed Beecroft to film her. Then the woman’s daughter told her about Zimiga’s ranch east of Wall. Beecroft ended up living on
Zimiga’s ranch for three years; she taught the kids how to be actors and created the story that became East of Wall, a 97-minute feature film that won the Audience Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. The film is based on the real lives of Zimiga and the teens that hang around her ranch. Beecroft’s years in western South Dakota — attending rodeos, brandings and livestock sales — give the film authenticity that South Dakotans will respect and enjoy. “If I was going to make a film about them, I needed to know every aspect, so you didn’t feel my director’s fingerprints on it,” she says. “I wanted it to feel like the audience has been dropped into their lives. I was basically in cowboy camp for three years.”
Knowles, the NSU theater prof, found the performances both believable and entertaining. “The filmmakers didn’t force the youth into unusual situations. All the performances were believable because [Beecroft] was smart enough to put them in scenes they do in real life — hanging out on car hoods, riding horses and performing at the auctions.” Knowles also lauds the film editing. “The Badlands almost became a character in the film. When Porshia is experiencing anxiety, it was almost like the antagonist in her head and the erosion of the badlands geography all fit together. It was a good use of the land. They don’t overdo the sweeping shots, and that’s a trap you might easily fall into. You should have a
reason for showing the landscapes, it should help to reveal the narrative and the characters.” Beecroft didn’t anticipate how much the Zimigas would become like family. “There’s a connection between Tabatha and I that we can’t really explain,” Beecroft says. “There’s no reason why we would ever know each other. It all just happened because I took a wrong turn. Now we’re best friends. I talk to her every day.” Sony Pictures Classics purchased the rights to the film, and it premiered worldwide in August. It is available on several streaming platforms. Is it another positive look for South Dakota — along the lines of Dances With Wolves and National Treasure? Knowles thinks so. Zimiga hopes it boosts her home state. She says it has
already helped her. “I was just kind of getting by day by day and constantly angry,” she says. “Like, you know, the world isn’t fair and it’s hard to keep standing.” She admits she was struggling to continue. The movie hasn’t made her rich, but it gives her hope. She’s anxious for South Dakotans to see the film, though she worries about how it’ll be received by rural people who don’t often talk about suicide or other hardships. “You just grit down and go with it day by day. You don’t speak about things that affect you, and you think nobody cares about your story. And then you do something like this and you get really surprised. We’re getting ready to show it to the people l love and care about, and it’s terrifying.” ArtsSouthDakota.org • 2025 Member Edition • 7
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BEHIND THE SCENES ARTS NEWS AND NOTES
Dalton Coffey
DEBUTS PANORAMA SERIES II Sioux Falls filmmaker Dalton Coffey has released Panorama Series II, a new collection of short films presented by Arts South Dakota and the South Dakota Arts Council. The series features six South Dakota artists, including Morgan Fields, Jeffrey Paul, Sheldon Starr, Erin Murtha (above) and Tim Rickett, with a final episode in which Sioux Falls musician Andrew Reinartz interviews Coffey about his creative process. Coffey says his goal for the project was simple but transformative — not to make films about South Dakota artists, but with them. By collaborating directly with each creator, he discovered new ways to tell stories that reflect South Dakota’s vibrant artistic spirit. Readers can view the full series at ArtsSouthDakota.org.
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BEHIND THE SCENES
Arts advocates (from left) Camille Kelly, Jim Speirs and Allison Mickelson met with Congressman Dusty Johnson in Washington D.C., to discuss the ways in which the arts impact lives in South Dakota.
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SHARING STATS & STORIES IN WASHINGTON
leading advocate of the arts made two trips to Washington, D.C., in 2025 to emphasize the importance of the arts in rural South Dakota. Jim Speirs, executive director of Arts South Dakota, met with U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and Senator Mike Rounds on trips in March and July, and he also had an opportunity to visit with staff of Sen. John Thune, the senate majority leader. “They all recognized and affirmed the good work being done,” Speirs says. “We talked about the role of the National Endowment for the Arts and how it works in conjunction with the South Dakota Arts Council, and how vital it is when it comes to accessibility to the arts for communities all across South Dakota.” Speirs also delivered statistics that show the economic impact of the arts. “It is truly a destination driver. People will travel to experience the arts, and
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of course we certainly know that in South Dakota because our biggest attraction is a piece of art.” Julie Garreau, executive director of the Cheyenne River Youth Project, accompanied Speirs on one of the trips. “She told the story of her group’s powerful mission and the good work they do.” Garreau’s program lost a $110,000, two-year grant but efforts are being made to have it reinstated. Speirs also received some assistance from Allison Mickelson, a Sioux Falls teacher, actor and singer. “She talked about being an artist from South Dakota and how important it was for her to return home to be a part of a strong arts community.” Speirs said his closing message was that the arts make a difference in peoples’ lives, but when programs lose funding in rural communities there’s seldom a major donor or institution available to fill the void.
WELCOME TO OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS Jane Rasmussen is a leader and advocate for the arts in her home community of Sisseton and throughout South Dakota, making her a natural addition to the Arts South Dakota board. Rasmussen is the founder and director of the Sisseton Arts Council, where she developed a model rural arts organization recognized for its community, tribal and global connections. The South Dakota Arts Council also welcomes Sioux Falls artist and educator Sara Mulder to its board. Mulder brings more than two decades of experience teaching art, along with an active professional painting practice rooted in education and community engagement.
STACY BRAUN: SCHOOL MEMORIES Stacy Braun is now fully retired from her roles as executive director of the Aberdeen Area Arts Council and as a board member of Arts South Dakota. However, Braun’s lifelong devotion to the arts will not change. Even before her leadership roles, she was teaching piano, doing pottery and supporting other artists. Her favorite memories stem from outreach programs she helped to facilitate with schools. She says the impact of arts programs on youth was obvious in the faces of the boys and girls. Braun also relishes her years on the Arts South Dakota board. “Seeing the growth and impact that Arts SD has had, both through advocacy and through the COVID relief fund era and other programs, was inspiring. I’ve met many wonderful people through the years and we all have a common denominator — a love for the arts.” Braun and her husband LeRoy are now planning some road trips around the USA.
ANDREW REINARTZ: CONNECTING ‘ISLANDS’ “Working with all the amazing arts folks around South Dakota” is what Andrew Reinartz treasures about his seven years with Arts South Dakota. “We are such a large state geographically that it’s easy to feel you are on an island,” he says. “Yet we have amazing arts folks doing so much creative work everywhere.” Reinartz stepped down from his role as development director last summer to focus on Wayne and Mary’s Nutrition Center, a Sioux Falls business founded by family members in the early 1970s. Andrew and his wife Rosanne are now the owners. Reinartz intends to stay connected to the South Dakota arts scene, both as a jazz musician and a friend to everyone in the arts, both on and off the proverbial islands.
Save the Date!
ARTS DATES YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS! FEBRUARY 11, 2026 — Pierre Arts Advocacy Day at the Legislature State Capitol, meet in the Rotunda Pierre — 11:00 – 3:00 p.m. MARCH 1, 2026 South Dakota Art For State Buildings Submissions deadline APRIL 24 & 25, 2026 — Rapid City South Dakota Arts Conference & Arts Leadership Institute Pre-Conference JULY 6-9, 2026 — Sioux Falls Augustana Music Academy Augustana University campus JULY 13-16, 2026 — Aberdeen 27th annual Arts Education Institute Northern State University campus SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 Nominations open for the 28th Biennial Governor’s Awards in the Arts (November 15 deadline)
GRANT DEADLINE MARCH 1 Now’s the time to start dreaming big! The South Dakota Arts Council will begin accepting grant applications on January 1, 2026, with a deadline of March 1. Artists, educators and community organizers can apply for support to bring creative ideas to life — from public art and school programs to performances and storytelling. Funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the State of South Dakota, and all forms of art are welcome. Learn more or sign up for updates at ArtsCouncil.sd.gov, or call (605) 7735925 for guidance Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST. ArtsSouthDakota.org • 2025 Member Edition • 11
Pierre Student
WINS CONGRESSIONAL HONOR U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson announced Magnus Weber of Pierre as the winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for South Dakota. Weber’s pen and ink drawing, Fragments of Freedom, earned the top ranking from the South Dakota Arts Council. A senior at T.F. Riggs High School, Weber studied under art teacher Jill Kokesh. His work will be on exhibit for the next year in the Cannon Tunnel at the U.S. Capitol, alongside winning artwork from other congressional districts. Katherine Kretchman, a homeschooled senior, received second place for her oil painting, which will hang in Representative Johnson’s Washington, D.C. office for the next year. The annual Congressional Art Competition is sponsored by members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The South Dakota Arts Council partners with Representative Johnson’s office to
coordinate the program, which recognizes the creative talents of South Dakota high school students.
POETRY OUT LOUD! Teonna Randle, a senior at Sioux Falls Jefferson High School, was named the 2025 South Dakota Poetry Out Loud champion and placed second nationally, earning a $10,000 prize. “To represent South Dakota meant everything to me,” she says. “Our state has such strong artistic talent, especially among youth. I 12 • South Dakota Arts Alive • ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
wanted people to see me and take that as inspiration — a reminder to not give up on something you love.” Randle first entered the competition with encouragement from her oral interpretation coach Shannon McMackin. Poetry Out Loud is free and open to any South Dakota high school student. Visit artscouncil.sd.gov for information.
BEHIND THE SCENES
PROJECT GRANTS ASSIST QUILTERS, TEACHERS & MORE
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ill City observes Veterans Day in style. The community gathers at Gin’s Gym, where a choir sings, a band plays and then several soldiers or veterans are draped in patriotic quilts sewn by members of the Heart of the Hills Quilters Guild. Lori Comer, a guild member, says most of the quilters are from the Hill City area but some come from far away. Each quilt takes more than 50 hours of craftsmanship. “This is our way of saying ‘thank you’ for their service,” Comer says. “The quilts hold a very special place in each of the soldiers’ hearts. Some hang on their walls. Some are draped over them as they nap and some even cover their casket as they are laid to rest.” Hill City’s quilters guild is one of five groups to receive unique Project Grants from the South Dakota Arts Council in 2025. Another of the awardees involves a project that integrates the Dakota language with traditional indigenous music in the K-8 curriculum at Enemy Swim Day School on the Sisseton Wahpeton Reservation. The goal is to preserve Dakota musical heritage, enhance student skills and foster a community identity. “When our students sing or play songs in Dakota language, you can see the pride on their faces,” says Arjay Sandigan, who directs the project. “It’s more than music, it’s about reconnecting with who they are.” A parent told Sandigan that her kids now sing Dakota songs around the house. “It’s also a tool for building confidence,” she notes. “During our music class, one kindergartener asked if she could sing a song in Dakota alone in front of everyone. Then, one by one, the rest of the class wanted to do the same.
Seeing them take pride and courage in sharing their voices is what makes this work so meaningful.” Each of the five grant recipients received $2,000 to support endeavors that benefit the greater community. Other awardees include: • Creative Explorations is a collaboration of the Homestake Opera House, Black Hills State University, Lead-Deadwood Arts Center and Lead Historic Preservation. Together, the groups organized the history of Christ Church and its unique tracker pipe organ. The church’s organist, Andrew Erhart, joined historians for a lecture on the challenges of preserving such instruments. • Tami Showers of Custer organized a program to provide step-by-step painting instructions for students of all ages in the classroom. She also offered mobile painting classes in Custer, Hot Springs, Hill City and Rapid City. • A colorful mural and sculptural wall now graces a popular courtyard in downtown Brookings, thanks to Downtown Brookings. The mural features a flowing music staff with colorful notes backlit with LEDs, a fitting backdrop for live performances that happen there, including the Sundown Summer Concert Series.
Hill City quilt guild members include (from left) Emma Rowbotham, Wendy Chastain, Lori Comer and Kristi Gylten. Below, Simon Garcia of the Army National Guard was among the soldiers chosen to receive a quilt.
UNFORGOTTEN POET Historians of Lead-Deadwood rediscover fascinating women of the Northern Hills, including poet Roberta Robertson Story by Bernie Hunhoff
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erry Smith believes there’s more to the history of the Northern Black Hills than Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok. “We’re trying to look at history a little differently,” says the chair of the Lead Historic Preservation Commission, “and we’re discovering that some of our pioneers deserve to be remembered for their contributions to art and literature.” Smith and his fellow volunteers came upon information on Hubert “Jay” Stowitts, a Deadwood performer who later became a Hollywood ballet star and danced
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with Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. They also learned of Augusta Chambers, a young lady who was among the first women to arrive in the gold camps. The young actress may have been the first poet of the Black Hills. By 1880 she’d already published a book of verse. Every year, Smith’s historical group chooses a theme. “Last year we did the Italians, who were one of the main ethnic groups to work in the mines. In doing so we discovered a lot of information on women who were making literary contributions, so this year we focused on them.”
That’s how the literary career of Roberta Robertson was rediscovered. “She really stuck out for us,” Smith says. “Artists at the Denver Post would take some of her poetry and create artwork to print with it in their popular Sunday paper. Her poetry is easy to read, relatively short and kind of musical in a way, so it’s easy to see her appeal.” The Lead historians were able to compile considerable information on the poet, enough to create an exhibit that was featured in 2025 at the Lead Deadwood Arts Center. Born in Iowa in 1878, she graduated from
Iowa State College and taught school before she moved to Madison, South Dakota. She came to Lead to teach in 1898. Two years later she married William Robertson, a railroad agent. She was active in cultural circles, especially with the local and state PEO chapters, the largest and oldest women’s organization in South Dakota. Robertson’s poetry was published in newspapers and broadcast on radio stations. While her poems rhymed, she didn’t always follow the strict patterns of meter and rhyme scheme that prevailed in the literary world a century ago. She was likely an acquaintance of Badger Clark, the esteemed cowboy poet of her day who lived in Custer State Park. She also corresponded with Adeline Jenny, the Brookings poet who succeeded Clark as South Dakota’s poet laureate. Smith came upon letters in which
Jenny suggested that Robertson’s poems were for the common person because she wrote them for regular readers of the local newspapers rather than for fellow academics and literary elites. “She definitely appealed to the common person,” he says. “Her poems are about the difficulties faced by the pioneers and the trials and tribulations of the western experience. She also wrote of the beauty of the Black Hills, and of everyday events like baking a cake or watching a prairie dawn.” Of the latter, she penned: The stealthy coyote slinking denward on soft-padded feet Gives early notice of the near approach of dawn Awaking meadowlarks, clear songed, in winged abandon meet, And sagecocks boom a vibrant greeting, “Night is gone.”
The Dance by Tim Smith (left) and Aspen by Paige Erickson (above).
THE DANCE Now they dance upon the hillside, White-limbed birches — every one Flaunting silver laces — dancers In the ballet of the sun. O, the birches are but young things Innocent, light-hearted, fair; Flirting with enamored summer, Wearing blossoms in their hair. Stoic pines look down, reproving Worldy wise, they murmur low, “Note the scars of weeping aspen, Madcap, too, a year ago.” But the birches trip on, blithely, Elfin castanets they ring, Who could worry when the sunshine Batons life and love and spring!
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But she also surprised her loyal readers with grittier topics. Upon discovering a crumbled cemetery marker in a Black Hills cemetery, she deciphered the name and date and learned that the grave belonged to a “scarlet sister” of Deadwood. She wrote a long poem that included this: Pawn of a gambler’s game, Queen of a dance hall floor, Wanton, submerged in shame Singed little moth, no more. Bitter, bitter the brew La Belle. Vera La Rue. Three loves has man — himself and gold, A woman’s body — I must sell That I starve not. My share of hell Have I not had? Then why withhold Your charity? Robertson’s first husband died in 1934. She married Bert Hutton in
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1937 and briefly left the Black Hills for Alliance, Nebraska. However, they soon returned to retire. When she died in 1959, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader wrote a story headlined, “Well Known S.D. Poet Succumbs.” Robertson’s hometown Lead newspaper reported that she left a “slim collection of essays and poems.” That was a gross understatement. Smith says they’ve collected more than 100 writings. Few places in South Dakota garner more historical attention than Deadwood and Lead, and yet, says Smith, “so much has been forgotten. When I first came here, all people talked about was Homestake and Wild Bill and the outlaws, but there was so much more history, especially related to arts and science. The names of those people are long gone but we thought, ‘Why don’t we find those individuals and showcase them and bring them back to life?’”
Prairie Moon by Kaylee Linn Welford (above), Winter by Julie Schroeder (below right) and House of Sod by Deb Brown (far right).
THE MOUNTAIN POETESS
ugusta Chambers may be one of the Black Hills’ first serious poets, according to research by the Lead Historic Preservation Commission. She arrived as an actress in Deadwood, and once bragged that she’d had 276 offers to marry within six months. Still, she had enough spare time to write and publish a book of poetry by 1880. After returning to the East, she continued her acting career and ran the Brooklyn School of Acting. Here are a few lines of her poem “While Westward Wandering:”
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Where the ends of the mighty plains begin— Like a scroll in Jehovah’s hand— To curve and curl in hillocks green; On, on to the longed for land, Where the beautiful, brave, brown-bearded men, Those gods of the golden hills— (“And each, please God, is a gentleman,” However he toils or tids)— Swing swarthy arms with pick on high— And the long, white day like a bridge goes by Till the hills leap up to the leaning sky— And fade as the sunset wills.
PRAIRIE MOON The time is now long since, O prairie moon, When creeping wagon trains slept under you, And waking sense the pepper-minted dew, Refreshing pearls of hope, O prairie moon. When thin clouds touched by evening splendor keep A tryst upon the plains far edge — the veil Rolls back to empty grasslands sloos asleep And hollows greened; the faintly curving trail … Glad willows of the swale in silver mass, Red viking lilies in mystic rune Above the blushing berries in the grass, Where youth adventured, ever seeking boon. Old memories crowd thick, O prairie moon. Progress has claimed the plains through sweat and strain. Yet hearts still sing, still sigh and dream again, For love is ageless took, O prairie moon.
HOMESTEAD Our lowly house of sod; the fragrance fair Of spring-time blossoms on the prairies wide; Our new made garden; tiny orchard there; And you and I, dear, by the years untried; Two yellow chairs; rag rugs upon the floor; Some tin ware bright; a cradle swinging low; All that I have I’d give — and even more — To know again that Heaven of long ago. Oh Homestead days out on the prairies new, Come back to me with all your poignant charms. The nearness of the stars, morn’s crowd of dew, The night wind bearing down in vague alarms; Gay patch work quilts the hearth fire’s lulling gleams … Heart to young heart, and love and rest and dreams.
SIMPLE PLEASURE In winter time I love to go Out in the fields, in the world of snow, Out where the frost has draped white lace On shrubs and weeds; to the magic place Where the rabbits danced round some fairy tree; Where the pond is glass and I may see Crystal treasures in caves, green mossed; Pearls and diamonds lavishly tossed; Where dainty food prints lead to a dome, A snow capped, grass thatched hummock — a home! I go every day to the fields a bit And tramp about for the love of it. ArtsSouthDakota.org • 2025 Member Edition • 17
BRUSHING UP
Vermillion’s
VORTEX COMMUNITY
M
ovie fans formed a nonprofit several years ago to restore and operate the old Coyote Twin Theater on Main Street in Vermillion. Then they launched the Vortex Film Festival as a way to create a community of cinema enthusiasts and filmmakers of all experience levels looking for networking, support and inspiration. Launched in September 2024, the three-day-long festival is coordinated by Casey Kelderman. The films are all created in
18 • South Dakota Arts Alive • ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
the Midwest within the last two or three years. Attendees can pick and choose or try to watch all 40 films over the weekend. The lineup includes feature films, short films, documentaries and workshops. For more information, email events@vermculture.org. Follow @vortexfilmfest on Facebook and Instagram for updates, film lineup announcements and sneak peeks.
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The Space Between by Emma Rivers
ART WALK AROUND THE CAPITAL New from our Poet Laureate
WHO’S YOUR EARL? We all know an Earl like the character in Bruce Roseland’s Earl’s Own Dakota Odyssey, though perhaps we’ve never thought or written about him as lyrically as does our poet laureate. Earl drinks beer, likes rodeo, gets into fights and earns a paycheck by stringing barbed wire fence around the biggest spreads west of the Missouri River. It’s a rough life but sounds decidedly less so through Roseland’s free verse narrative. The book earned Roseland the 2025 Wrangler Award in Poetry.
HIDE & SEEK AT THE ZOO Sioux Falls muralist Hannah Stromseth created a whimsical, interactive tree mural in the Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium gift shop. Visitors are invited to play “I Spy,” with a free reference sheet, to find nine hidden animals and several tiny critters.
20 • South Dakota Arts Alive • ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
Ten new pieces were added to the state’s art collection in 2025 through the Art for State Buildings program. Since its inception by the South Dakota State Legislature in 2008, the collection has now grown to include 135 works that are displayed in publicly accessible areas of state government buildings throughout Pierre. The newest additions and their locations are: • House of Clouds, by Susan Hartenhoff Haygood, Garretson. Conference Room 413, Capitol building. • Presence of a Hero, by Roger Broer, Hill City. Conference Room 413, Capitol building. • Sunrise at Sylvan, by Allison Russell, Mitchell. Capitol building. • Thin Ice, Take II, by Charlene Brown, Pierre. Fourth floor, Capitol building. • The Space Between (above), by Emma Rivers, Rapid City. Conference Room 412, Capitol building.
• Morning Thunder, by Donald Montileaux. Rapid City. Conference Room 413, Capitol building. • The Last Battle, by Hector Curriel, Sioux Falls. Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building. • Settling In, by Mecca Rutherford, Sioux Falls. Dolly-Reed Plaza Building entrance. • Spring Sensations, by DeVee Dietz, Sturgis. Conference Room 413, Capitol building. • Chasing the Sun, by Jennifer Stone, Watertown. Fourth floor, Capitol building.
BRUSHING UP
Western dance classes in Lemmon, organized by the Grand River Arts Council, helped connect veterans to their community.
DANCING TOWARD CONNECTIONS
V
eterans danced the night away in Lemmon and grew closer to each other and their community through the Grand River Arts Council’s “More Than Marching” program held from September 2024 through February 2025. Arts council members Julie Goeres and Judy Larson identified a need for veteran-based programming in northwestern South Dakota in 2023. A $20,000 Creative Forces Community Challenge Grant through the National Endowment for the Arts as well as local matching funds helped support the program. Five western dance workshops and five community
dances featuring local bands were held at the American Legion Post 66. Instructor Cindy Kahl taught 62 students, and more than 800 people attended the classes and dances through the program’s run. “Lemmon is very rural, and access to veterans or military benefits is tough,” Goeres says. “This was a way that we could bring something to the community to support veterans, their families and the community as a whole. It brought everybody together and allowed them to create connections based on a common fun event.”
ArtsSouthDakota.org • 2025 Member Edition • 21
BRUSHING UP
STATE THEATER CELEBRATES 100 YEARS The Sioux Falls State Theatre was a cultural jewel of downtown Sioux Falls when it opened in 1926, showcasing silent films and local performances. After a nearly 30-year closure, the Theatre was renovated and reopened on Dec. 11, 2020 for
Christian Begeman
A Century of Cinema
a showing of White Christmas. The State Theatre celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026. For more information on upcoming events to help celebrate the milestone, visit SiouxFallsStateTheatre.org or follow the venue on Facebook and Instagram.
Dylan Monson Media
BRIMMING WITH ARTS
Aerial artists performed in the lobby of the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center at Brookings’ inaugural Arts at the Oscar.
22 • South Dakota Arts Alive • ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
There were artists everywhere you turned at South Dakota State University’s inaugural Arts at The Oscar, held in May. And that was by design. “The concept was to flood the building,” says Christina Castillo, director of the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. “That was very intentional. We wanted to showcase the abundance of art and talent in our community.” Arts at The Oscar became a community-wide celebration of the arts. Showcase artists included vocalists, instrumentalists, dancers, aerial acrobats, visual artists, poets and actors involved in technical theater or screen readings. After an opening ceremony to recognize sponsors and winners of local arts awards, attendees could freely move around the building, watching the rotating performance schedule. Castillo says planning is underway for a 2026 event. “We felt that what Brookings was missing was an event to bring together the community to celebrate the arts,” she says. “We wanted to recognize, engage and showcase artists from the community on an annual basis.”
Dave Eggen/Inertia Sports Media
The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra’s Lakota Music Project began its Shared Visions Tour at Crazy Horse Memorial.
SHARED VISIONS
F
or more than 20 years, the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra’s Lakota Music Project has sought to heal generations of mistrust between Natives and non-Natives through music. The project’s fourth tour of the state in October 2025, the Shared Vision Tour, centered on the shared human experiences of celebration, humor, love and youth. The tour included debut performances of pieces by composer Derek Bermel in collaboration with Creekside Singers drum keeper Emmanuel Black Bear and by composer Jeffrey Paul in collaboration with Dakota cedar flutist Bryan Akipa. It also included works by students of the symphony orchestra’s Music Composition Academy, a summer camp serving primarily Native American middle and high school students in South Dakota.
The week-long tour began on October 13 (Native American Day) at Crazy Horse Memorial and stopped in Pine Ridge, Chamberlain, Mission, Wagner and Sioux Falls. “Being a part of the Lakota Music Project and the Creekside Singers brings a lot of honor to our families,” Black Bear says. “To utilize our traditional songs with orchestra, it’s not something that they would normally see. Where we come from [Pine Ridge], there is a lot of hopelessness. [With this program], we can share our way of life, our traditional ways which brings us to together, and offer hope in the music. Racial issues are because of ignorance and not knowing. By showing our way of life, we build understanding for who we are as a people.” The Shared Vision Tour was supported in part by a South Dakota Arts Council Touring Arts grant.
ArtsSouthDakota.org • 2025 Member Edition • 23
Matthew Whitaker has worked with Augustana University students in a variety of groups as the school’s inaugural artist in residence. The acclaimed jazz pianist will also teach classes and hopes to involve students and faculty in his own music projects.
NEW MUSICAL PERSPECTIVES AT AUGIE
M
atthew Whitaker’s first trip to South Dakota came in 2024, when he visited Augustana University in Sioux Falls on behalf of Yamaha. A few weeks later, he’d agreed to become the university’s inaugural artist in residence. Whitaker is an internationally acclaimed jazz pianist, composer and educator. Blind since birth, he began playing music at the age of three. By age 11, he was performing internationally. A graduate of the Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School and The Juilliard School, Whitaker has since become a globally recognized performer and Yamaha artist. The Hackensack, New Jersey native has performed in Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater and at major jazz festivals around the world. Yamaha planned to send Whitaker to Sioux Falls when
24 • South Dakota Arts Alive • ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
Augustana purchased several pieces of Yamaha equipment. Then Peter Folliard, dean of the Augustana School of Music, suggested Whitaker visit as a special guest to work with students and attend the university’s annual Jazz on the Upper Great Plains Festival. “The next thing you know, Pete reached out a few months later and said, ‘I want you to teach,’” Whitaker says. “From that conversation on, we’ve been working together a lot, and it’s been great.” In addition to teaching, Whitaker has worked with the university’s marching band, jazz groups, choirs and with individual piano students. “I just want to share some musical experiences from my perspective, help out where I can and have a great time,” he says. “I’m all about collaboration, so I’m involving some of the students and staff in projects that I’m working on personally.”
BRUSHING UP
South Dakota
ARTS TRIVIA You don’t have to visit a museum to enjoy great art in South Dakota. Murals, sculptures and other creations add vibrancy to public spaces across the state. See how well you know our public art with this quiz. Answers are on page 26.
[1]
urals by famed Yanktonai painter M Oscar Howe decorate the walls of what building?
[2]
here will you find John Lopez’s W The Tree of Life?
[3]
Dale Lamphere’s Arc of Dreams spans what river?
[4]
rt and graffiti mix at what A eclectic spot in downtown Rapid City?
[5]
Main Street mural by A Brookings artist Chuck Bennis pays tribute to what town’s reputation for producing honey?
[6]
T hrough its Murals on the Town project, what community tells its story through colorful murals painted on city buildings?
BIG APPLE CONNECTIONS Kristine Knapp and Courtney Huse Wika are winners of the 2025 Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award. Established in 1984 and sponsored by Poets & Writers, the award introduces emerging writers to the New York City literary community. Knapp and Huse
Wika traveled to New York in the fall of 2025, where they met with agents, editors, authors and other literary professionals who offered advice, insight and helped establish professional contacts. They also each received a $500 honorarium and will partici-
pate in a one-month residency at the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Banner, Wyoming. Knapp is a retired U.S. diplomat and former software engineer. She lives in the Black Hills. Huse Wika is an English professor at Black Hills State University in Spearfish.
ArtsSouthDakota.org • 2025 Member Edition • 25
BRUSHING UP
A ‘GAME-CHANGER’ FOR SDSU
F
or 20 years, Woodbine Productions at South Dakota State University has brought world-class talent to Brookings and helped hundreds of students pursue their degrees through the School of Performing Arts. And it’s all thanks to one anonymous donor who ensures that every dollar of ticket sales is used to provide scholarships. Woodbine Productions launched in 2006 as a way to showcase the first phase of the university’s Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center, after the success of the center’s initial grand opening concerts in 2003 and 2004. An anonymous benefactor offered to provide the budget for the series, allowing ticket revenue to flow into the SDSU Woodbine Scholarship fund. The series typically includes three or four concerts every academic year. This year the total amount of scholarship funds raised hit $1 million.
Keith Lockhart leading the Boston Pops.
More than 50 concerts have been staged, featuring Broadway stars like Leslie Odom, Jr. and Audra McDonald and groups such as Doc Severinsen’s Big Band and the Count Basie Orchestra. The Boston Pops will perform music by John Williams on March 1 to help celebrate the $1 million milestone. David Reynolds, Director of the School of Performing Arts, says Woodbine Productions has been a game-changer. “I’ve looked far and wide to find another series set up like this and there truly isn’t one,” Reynolds says. “We have been able to double the amount of scholarship money that we can offer annually to performing arts students, through this program and other endowments. It makes us much more competitive when recruiting and retaining the top talent in the region. It strengthens everything that we do.”
LOVE, DEATH & PIZZA A book about the deaths of friends and loved ones could naturally become pretty heavy. But Love and Death and Pizza by Jim Mathis is not. It’s sprinkled with humorous stories that give life to the characters, but perhaps also help Mathis navigate the grieving process. Mathis began the book during the COVID-19 pandemic — a heavy time in all of our lives — but the exercise proved healthy. “In many
ways, writing this book was like therapy — a way for me to work through grief, anxiety and the feelings I hadn’t let myself grapple with in the past,” Mathis says. “But as the theme grew darker, I felt I needed to add some humor and worked to find a balance between tears and laughter.” Mathis is the founder of ADwërks in Sioux Falls and a longtime member of the Arts South Dakota board of directors.
Trivia Answers: 1. Scherr-Howe Arena in Mobridge; 2. Lemmon; 3. Big Sioux River in downtown Sioux Falls; 4. Art Alley; 5. Bruce; 6. Huron 26 • South Dakota Arts Alive • ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
Winslow Townson / BSO
Woodbine Productions
Supporters
F
or this issue of Arts Alive, we graciously recognize and honor our arts supporters across South Dakota. While you can still find our donor recognition list by gift level on ArtsSouthDakota.org, we want to recognize how the vibrant arts communities support each other statewide. These individuals and organizations believe in a strong collective voice for the arts, and demonstrate that by their membership gifts to Arts South Dakota. Their donations lead the way in advocating for a creative state, and we can’t do this important work without you all! Donors supporting the Arts South Dakota Annual Fund with a sustaining gift from July 2023, to November 1, 2025 are listed below.
ArtsSouthDakota.org James & Ardis Johnson Karen & Keith Kinder Jim McKinney Doug & Mary Miller David Reynolds John Rychtarik Linda Stuerman-Purrington Lynn Verschoor Merritt & Pamela Warren
Burbank
Dennis Navrat
Chamberlain
David & Naomi Colberg
Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation
Major Gifts & Sustaining Donors A special thank you to the following supporters for their significant gifts to Arts South Dakota. Their belief in a creative South Dakota, and accompanying financial support, will help drive this important work forward! Janet Brown, Sioux Falls Lynne & Bill Byrne, Sioux Falls Mary & Kurt Cogswell, Brookings Tom & Pat Dempster, Sioux Falls Kris & Steve Egger, Sioux Falls Garry & Dianne Jacobson, Sioux Falls Ardie Barber & Norm McKie, Rapid City Kenny & Linnea Putnam, Longmont Hon. Jeffrey & Linda Lea Viken, Rapid City Rod & Sandy Garnett, Spearfish Dan & Arlene Kirby, Sioux Falls Dale Lamphere & Jane Murphy, Sturgis Jim & Kara Mathis, Sioux Falls Michael Pangburn, Pierre Deanna & Dave Knudson, Sioux Falls Deonne Kahler, Rapid City Janet M. Kahler, Rapid City Tom & Crystal Van Wyhe, Sioux Falls
South Dakota Individual & Organizational Donors by City Aberdeen
Aberdeen Area Arts Council Dacotah Prairie Museum Hardly Working Promotions, LLC
Kay Bosanko Stacy & LeRoy Braun Sarah Davidson Laurel Foster Roxanne Hinze Dawn Menning Cassandra Mraz Melissa Nguyen Nadya Preszler Betty Sheldon Dan Van Dover Kathleen Webb
Alexandria
Dellaine Kleinsasser
Baltic
Deb & Peter Klebanoff
Bath
James Walker & Jerry Oligmueller
Belle Fourche
Ariadne Albright
Beresford
Larry & Marilyn Rohrer
Britton
Northern Fort Playhouse
Brookings
South Dakota Art Museum Charles Bennis Tim & Monica Campbell Margaret Denton Van & Barbara Fishback Bette Gerberding Linda Hoffelt Dennis Hopfinger & Carolyn Clague Mildred K. Hugghins
Custer
Custer Area Arts Council Mary Jo Marcy
De Smet
De Smet Area Arts Council Amy Kruse Jennifer Stofferahn
Deadwood
Mark & Rose Speirs Mary Wipf & Mark Zimmerman
Dell Rapids
Allen & Gloria Brown
Eagle Butte Julie Garreau
Faulkton
Faulkton Area Arts Council Linda Bartholomew Beth Deiter
Fort Pierre
Dave & Linda Bonde William V. Fischer Gloria Hanson & Ron Schreiner Daniel & Rebecca Schenk Lonnie Schumacher Barbara Wood Sandy Zinter
Glenham
Debby Walker
Harrold
Sharon & Marty Winckler
Hartford
Angela Hoekman Erin Rieff
Herreid
Campbell County Arts Council Andrew & Sheila Van Kuren
Highmore
Highmore Area Council of the Arts
Hill City
Artforms Hill City Arts Council Warrior’s Work & Ben West Gallery Roger & Merlene Broer Jon & Gail Crane Cheryl Whetham & Jukka Huhtiniemi Lesta & Mike Turchen
Hot Springs
Chautauqua Craftsmen & Artisans of the Black Hills Nancy Anne Barker Rhonda M. Kocourek Lynn & Frank Mason Jan Speirs
Houghton
Herseth Ranch
Humboldt
Brenda Sosa
Huron
Beth Brenner
Keystone
Black Hills Glass Blowers
Lake Norden
Kathy Antonen
Lead
Tom & Molly Valentine
Historic Lead Deadwood Arts Council Historic Homestake Opera House Johns & Kosel Law, LLC Jacqualyn Fuller Joe & Shari Kosel Dan & Dot O’Connor Steve Rice
Geddes
Leola
Fulton
Con Brio Studio
Garretson
Authentic Arts Amanda Vasek
Leola Arts Council Fee Jacobsen
Supporters Madison
Madison Area Arts Council Mary Askren Ginny Freitag Dr. Larry Green Donna Hazelwood Terry & Mary Ryan
Martin
Ken & Lavonne Pickering Eric & Ruth Raveling Randall & Teri Royer Chuck & Bonny Schroyer Jim & Sandy Szana Kate & Andy Vandel Roberta Williams Ron & Glenda Woodburn
Rosemary Buchmann Dr. Craig Howe
Pine Ridge
Midland
Rapid City
Audrey Jones
Miller
Collin & Katie Otteson
Mitchell
Area Community Theatre of Mitchell Rick & Kelsey Fuchs April Geist Dusty & Jacquelyn Johnson Marica Shannon Kristine Wollman
Onida
Rodney & Marla Mosiman
Parker
Rolf Olson & Anne E. Waltner
Pickstown
Larry & Debera Lucas
Pierre
Pierre Players Inc. Short Grass Arts Council Waterfront Gallery for the Arts Monte Amende & Michelle DeyoAmende Amanda Bachmann Patrick & Jennifer Baker Kay Decker Karen A. Gerdes Jeff & Darlene Hallem Arline Hammer Steve & Monica Harding Helen Harryman Deborah Holland Larry Johnson Diane Kehrwald Ellen & Tom Lee Dorothy Liegl Larry & Gail Lyngstad Jay & Beverly Mickelson Mike & Kathi Mueller
Ashley Pourier Black Hills Studios of the Arts Black Hills Symphony Orchestra Catalyst Theater Company Dahl Fine Arts Center & Rapid City Arts Council Dakota Artists Guild Shoemaker Visual Art Studio Mt. Rushmore Chapter of SPEBSQSA, Inc. Shrine of Democracy Chorus The Black Hills Playhouse Eric Abrahamson & Lois Facer Patricia Acevedo Fuentes Carol Bailey Laurie & Mike Becvar Bonnie & Tim Bjork Mark & Katie Bray John E. Brockelsby Susan Callahan Ann & Tim Deckert Jacqui Dietrich Don & Mary Downs Christina Emrick Masha Fehr Michael & Marnie Gould Anne F. Hatch Stephanie Higdon Susan Hines Joyce Jefferson Pat Lebrun Christine Leichtnam Deanna Lien Nick Lucas Joy McCracken Scott & Karen McGregor Mark & Kristol McKie Deborah Mitchell Sandra Newman Tamara Pier Patrick Roseland Carol & Carl Schwarzenberg Marty Seim Jean Selvy-Wyss & Patrick Wyss
28 • South Dakota Arts Alive • ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
Katie Smirnova Virginia Sneve Clayton & Anella Southwick James & Cary Speirs Yoko Sugawara Anna Marie Thatcher Milo Winter Steven Zellmer & Kitty Kinsman Amber Zora
Redfield
Redfield Area Arts Council
Roscoe
Janet Fuhrman
Roslyn
Lawrence Diggs Monte & Fran Rougemont
Salem
LeEtta Bennett
Scotland
Frank Kloucek
Sioux Falls
Augustana University School of Music Badger Clark Foundation Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. Fellowship Jazz Center Fresh Produce Great Plains Watercolor Society Levitt at the Falls Rehfeld’s Art & Framing Sanford Arts at Sanford USD Medical Center SculptureWalk Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Arts Council Sioux Falls Mariachi Inc South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Sunset Strip Pawn, Inc. The Center for Western Studies, Augustana University South Dakota Friends of Traditional Music Washington Pavilion Wolf Bronze Nan Baker Phil & Jill Baker John Beranek Dar Berkenpas & Boyd Bristow Jeannie & Burke Blackman Melanie & Norman Bliss Brian & Kaija Bonde Bill & Cathy Britton Dick Brown
Susan Burgard Sarah Carlson Jim & Deann Clark Linda Clement Paul & Mary Ellen Connelly Mike & Judy Connor Ceca & Bill Cooper Claudia Dail Julie Dent Jeff Eckhoff Paul Everson Carla Fauske & Peter Lieberman Nancy Giere Doris Graeber Andra Guzzo Dirk & Constanze Hagmaier Bruce & Nancy Halverson Eileen Halverson Phil & Kiki Hegg Connie Herring Heather Hitterdal Josh & Rose Ann Hofland Dody & Boyd Hopkins Jon Hovland Clara Jacob Corliss & Anne Johnson Barbara Johnson Scott & Marianne Johnson Lynne Jones Rob Joyce Phil & Diana Kappen Adam Emerson & Dohui Kim Cheryl Koch Dick & Cindy Koch John J. Kolb Steve & Dianne Larson Mark Law Katrina Lehr-McKinney Amanda Levesque Brenda Lewis Janet & Ken Lingemann Sara Lum Patrick McGowan John McIntyre Allison Mickelson John Mogen Reynold Nesiba Janice Nicolay Helen Olsen Judith Payne Dr. Boyd & Jessica Perkins Byron Petersen Sheri Peterson Lawrence & Catherine Piersol Joan C. Rasmusson
ArtsSouthDakota.org
Kris & Tom Reaves Andrew & Rosanne Reinartz Kay Reinartz Betsy Rice Jeff & Katie Scherschligt Paul & Koni Schiller Greg Schmitz Kirby Schultz Miles & Vickie Schumacher Jim Speirs Jack Stengel Shelley Stingley Stephen & Catherine Thurman Rose Marie Tornow Blair Tremere Serge van Neck Karyn Veenis Nan Venhuizen Lori Walsh Darwin Wolf
Sisseton
Sisseton Area Arts Council Rosemarie Hanssen Terry & Sandi Jaspers Cindy Marohl Estelle Reierson Pearson John & Jane Rasmussen
Spearfish
Flat Earth Art Company The Matthews Opera House & Arts Center Rosalie Aslesen Kathy Block Elizabeth Freer & Michael Headley Lonnie & Leesa Haugland Jim & Katie Hood Michelle & Eric Jennings Edith Lien James Maher Paula Manley & Jim Knutson Kent & Zindie Meyers Tim Peterson Ellen & Richard Plocek
Spencer
Lori Long
Springfield
Cheryl Peterson Halsey
Sturgis
Sturgis Area Arts Council Anne Bodman & Andrew Hollander Richard & Ginger Carstensen DeVee & Kevin Dietz
Bill Feterl Barry Furze Susan Rae Helgeland Logan Lamphere Denise LaRue
Tea
Paul Struck
Vermillion
Dalesburg Heritage National Music Museum South Dakota Shakespeare Festival Vermillion Cultural Association John Banasiak Dr. Margaret Downie Banks Don & Janet Beeman Carol Cook Geu Susan Gray Bruce & Carol Kelley Michele Mechling Phyllis Packard Dr. Susanne Skyrm Norma & Jerry Wilson
Wakonda
Ruth Williams
Wall
Wounded Knee Museum Rick & Patt Hustead
Watertown
Northern Prairie Arts Redlin Art Center Joy Halling Mr. Stanley N. Jacobson Carol Johnson Ralph Wamsher
Webster
Day County Arts Council Darlene Dulitz
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Wessington Springs
Springs Area Council of the Arts
Winner
Tami Comp Sharon Schramm
Yankton
Yankton Area Arts Julie Amsberry Marsha Bertsch Bill J. & Jane Bobzin Kathie & Rudy Gerstner Paul Harens Katie Hunhoff Marilyn Kratz Kevin & Amber Moe Larry & Diane Ness James & Marilyn Nyberg Marcia & Marvin Olnes Ms. Margaret Rahn Lea Ann Schramm Lynn Scroggins Norman & Kathleen West
Out of State or Unknown Seven Council Fires Native Art Karsh Hagen Terry Arons Diane Barnhart Mr. Michael Bollinger Greg Boris & Joan Reddy Jamie Church Kay Diehl Brian Jones Mary Kelly Alan & Kari LaFave Mary E. Manthei Joseph & Norma McFadden Janet Meyer Jill O’Brien
Sandra Polster Mr. Edward D. Pullen Carol Stewart Janelle Toman
Sponsors ADwërks Architecture Incorporated Bank West Click Rain CorTrust Bank Delta Dental of South Dakota First Bank & Trust First PREMIER Bank Koch Hazard South Dakota Art Museum
In-Kind Donors South Dakota Magazine Dale Lamphere & Jane Murphy Gene & Susan McGowan Arts South Dakota is in part supported through the generous grant support of the South Dakota Arts Council and the Bush Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts and Michael and Marnie Gould.
Arts South Dakota PO Box 2496, Sioux Falls, SD 57101-2496 (605) 252-5979 | ArtsSouthDakota.org Email: info@ArtsSouthDakota.org Arts South Dakota, a nonpartisan and nonprofit service organization, advances the arts for South Dakotans and our visitors by connecting, advocating and educating. Your donation to Arts South Dakota will enable us to continue our work to strengthen the arts in our state. Please join Arts South Dakota today. Give securely online at ArtsSouthDakota.org
Morning Thunder, by Donald Montileaux of Rapid City, was selected for the 2025 Art for State Buildings collection.