Centerville:
WELCOMING THE ARTS A new mural is just the latest of several arts initiatives in Centerville, a small city with big creativity. “Arts are good for a community, and that makes them good for economic development,” says Jared Hybertson, who led an effort to transform a dilapidated retail store on Main Street into the Centerville Arts, Commerce and Visitor Center. A $100,000 grant from the Bush Foundation kicked off the effort to buy and restore the 1914 Leader Clothing Store, which sat empty for 25 years. The total project cost more than $200,000. Hybertson, who serves as Com-
munity & Economic Development director, found support from other civic leaders. The Centerville Arts Council helps to arrange gallery exhibits and special events, including visits from the Missoula Children’s Theater. Two murals have been painted on Main Street, and a third is now being planned. Amber Hansen, assistant professor of art at the University of South Dakota, is directing an effort that involves the entire town, including youth, in ideas for the painting. Quality of life initiatives are important to every community’s growth, Hybertson says, and he believes small towns are no different. He and other Centerville residents have even established a welcoming committee to greet families who
Centerville volunteers repurposed a 1914 clothing store.
move to town. “Studies show that the sooner a new person is welcomed, the more likely they are to stay,” he says. “We want to bridge the gap between the community and newcomers — and the arts are one way to make those connections.”
NORTHERN HOSTS ART & MUSIC INSTITUTES
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outh Dakota’s art and music community will gather in midJuly on the Northern State University campus in Aberdeen. Workshops for persons interested in arts, band and choral education are welcome to participate in the numerous workshops planned for three related institutes. This is the 23rd year of the program. The Arts Education Institute will be an educational and fun-filled week of learning. The goal is to infuse arts into classroom and curriculum development, however you do not have to be an educator to attend. Twenty-six workshops will be offered July 11-15. Participants may take up to four one-day workshops. The Band Director Institute July 11-13 will expose music teachers to the current and standard literature. Leaders will also share teaching methods and materials. The headline clinician is Stephen Rivero, director of bands at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and
commander and conductor of the Florida National Guard’s 13th Army Band. The Choral Director Institute, also July 11-13, is designed to introduce choral music educators to the best current and standard literature, as well as teaching methods and materials. The headline clinician is Chris Maunu, a conductor, educator and composer from the Denver area. Maunu is a four-time finalist for Grammy Music Educator of the Year. Registration is open until July 8. All workshops qualify for three graduate or CEU credits. Contact Shari Kosel of Arts South Dakota to register at (605) 252-5979 or info@ artssouthdakota.org. The institutes are sponsored by Arts South Dakota, the South Dakota Arts Council, Northern State University and Poppler’s Music. South Dakota Arts Council support is provided with funds from the state of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts. ArtsSouthDakota.org • Summer 2022 Member Edition • 23
