Arts Alive | September/October 2023 | South Dakota Magazine

10th Annual Governor’s Biennial Art Exhibition

A CULTURAL SNAPSHOT

Every two years the Governor’s Biennial exhibit preserves a snapshot of diverse arts created in South Dakota. The collaboration began in 2003 as a way to uplift artists, celebrate our culture and document the quality and diversity of our artists.

One of the selected artists, bookmaker Camille Riner of Custer, says it also connects creative people from across the state. “It gives me a chance to see what other artists are thinking about and what is important to them as well as to share my own perspective. Where many shows feature a specific content, subject matter or media, the biennial provides a chance for different media, content, 2D and 3D work to be seen together,” explains Riner. “Where there might be divisions geographically, the biennial gets us all in the same room. It gives us a snapshot of what is going on in our state, the concerns as well as the celebrations.”

Sixty-nine artists were selected to join the 2023 exhibition. See the biennial show at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls from August 25 to November 12 and at the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City from December 8 to March 30.

FROM ARTS SOUTH DAKOTA AND THE SOUTH DAKOTA ARTS COUNCIL

J. Desy Schoenewies, Ghosts…and they seemed to have it easier than we do (detail), 2021, oil and transfers on canvas

Scott Parsons, Tonka, 2022, oil on paper, 18" x 24"

Camille Riner, Four Horses, 2021 linocuts, papercutting, accordion book, edition of 30, 2.5" x 4.25" x 0.25"

Save The

INUIT CULTURE COMES TO S.D.

Alaskan Inuit band Pamyua will spend one week in the southern Black Hills this autumn, with a performance at the Crazy Horse Memorial on Native Americans’ Day, Oct. 9. Pamyua is touring courtesy of World Fest, an Arts Midwest program.

Pamyua is a traditional Inuit/Yup’ik band created in 1995 by brothers Phillip and Stephen Blanchett. Along with bandmates Ossie Kairaiuak and Karina Moeller, the band celebrates and honors indigenous Inuit traditions through music and ceremony, sometimes adding an R&B or soul twist to traditional rhythms.

Pamyua will spend Oct. 8-14 presenting workshops, classes and performances throughout the Southern Hills. Partners include the South Dakota Arts Council, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer Area Arts Council and Chautauqua Craftsmen and Artisans of the Black Hills. Visit the Custer Area Arts Council website for more information.

WHY THE ARTS?

• Every $1 invested in the arts returns $21 to the South Dakota economy.

• South Dakota has 1,352 arts-related businesses and they employ 6,489 people.

• SDAC’s Artists in Schools & Communities program brought artists to 57 sites across South Dakota and provided 183 total weeks of education residency in 2020 despite the pandemic; more than half of those residencies served veterans, at-risk youth, and other underserved individuals.

Become a Member!

Support the arts by becoming a member of Arts South Dakota! Learn more and give today at ArtsSouthDakota.org!

2024 GOVERNOR’S STUDENT ART EXHIBITION

In the spirit of uplifting tomorrow’s artists, the Governor’s Student Art Competition rules and deadlines will be announced during the National Arts in Education Week September 10-16. The competition is an annual collaboration between Governor Kristi Noem and the South Dakota Arts Council to shed light on the importance of arts education in our state. For more information visit ArtsCouncil.SD.Gov.

Arts South Dakota, a non-partisan and non-profit service organization, advances the arts for South Dakotans and our visitors by connecting, advocating, and educating.

The South Dakota Arts Council is a state agency serving South Dakotans and their communities through the arts.

Tim Steele, Six Squares and a House, 2022, encaustic and oil on paper, 22" x 30"