ArtsAlive
Summer 2017 South Dakota arts road trips
On the cover:
“Prairie Impressions,” a work from the Homestead Series of watercolors by Judy Thompson. Read more about the South Dakota Arts Council roster artist on page 7.
One million visitors annually are attracted to the Badlands National Park for the park’s scenery and special arts events. All photos pages 2-3, courtesy of SD Tourism.
Summer, 2017 Volume 19, Issue 4
Arts Alive South Dakota is published by Arts South Dakota PO Box 2496 Sioux Falls, SD 57101-2496 605-252-5979 Page 2
Explore our state’s rich cultural landscape this summer
or generations, visitors have made South Dakota a “must-see” summer destination—and our creative culture is the reason why. From the monumental sculptures on Mount Rushmore to Oscar Howe’s original designs that graced Mitchell’s Corn Palace for decades, South Dakota has long been known for the color, excitement and power of its summer arts scene. From the Black Hills to the Big Sioux River, from Custer State Park to the northern lakes, there are music and arts festivals and a kaleidoscope of cultural experiences to make this summer a memorable time for visitors and for South Dakota residents. The rich heritage of prairie pioneers is celebrated in ethnic festivals that date back to the early days of statehood—or before. Czech Days, June 16-17, the annual ethnic festival celebrating Czechoslovakian heritage in Tabor, features colorful costumes, delicious Czech food, a unique parade, the famous Beseda dancers, a craft fair and free entertainment. The Dalesburg Midsummer Festival, June 23, is an annual event, held since 1869, honoring our Scandinavian and rural heritage. The festival includes a concert by the trio Vindonia from Skane province, Sweden, playing Nordic traditional tunes in a personal style. Viborg hosts Danish Days July 13-16, celebrating the community’s heritage with Danish foods and exhibits. Entertainment includes a car show, small engine poker run, aebleskiver breakfast, parade, street dance, co-ed softball tournament, community worship and fireworks. The German-Russian Schmeckfest in Eureka, September 15, features a German meal; community parade; vintage car, tractor and motorcycle show; antique tractor pull; pioneer demonstrations at the museum; a German church service, and more. For a festival celebrating an incredible array of ethnic cultures, try the 21st annual Festival of Cultures Saturday, June 17, at The Coliseum in downtown Sioux Falls. Enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes from around the world at this day of family fun. The festival provides a stream of diverse sights and sounds and showcases local and nationally known performers, ethnic food and cultural display booths. June 22-25, the history of the Missouri River is celebrated at Oahe Days Music and Arts Festival in Pierre. This community celebration takes place along the Missouri River in beautiful Steamboat Park, featuring arts, crafts and food vendors, entertainment and a children’s activity area. This is an annual event unique to South Dakota’s Capital City including free entertainment and a family fun atmosphere. Music lovers have great options for summer listening. July 23-25, the Black Hills ring with banjos, guitars and fiddles at the 37th annual Black Hills Bluegrass Festival at the Kickstands Campground near Sturgis. East River The Sioux River Folk Festival is an annual jamboree of traditional music folkies get their musical which convenes the first weekend of August at Newton Hills State Park. fill at the Sioux River Folk Festival at Newton Hills State Park near Canton, August 4-6. The state park atmosphere and world-class folk musicians combine for a weekend in the sun that has come to be an essential element of summer for thousands.
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www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
Celebrate the 5th annual Downtown Riverfest in Sioux Falls Saturday, August 19 at 4 pm with live music, art, food, fun and fireworks.
Among the other “must-see” summer festivals are the large arts-in-the-park events held throughout the state. The Brookings Summer Arts Festival features over 200 artists from across the nation representing 17 disciplines filling Pioneer Park with original and handcrafted works of art. Forty-two gourmet and ethnic food booths satisfy every appetite and historic and antique booths celebrate South Dakota’s heritage at the annual two-day event, held this year the weekend of July 8 and 9. As many as 100,000 people attend the annual Yankton Summer Arts Festival at Riverside Park. The three-day event, held August 18-20 this year, includes a flea market, musical performances and lots of arts exhibiters. And the fun continues into September with the Washington Pavilion’s
popular Sidewalk Arts Festival in downtown Sioux Falls September 9. The event is a fundraiser for the Visual Arts Center and is the region’s largest one-day arts festival. Powwows and wacipis celebrate the cultural life of the Northern Plains tribes. A sampling of this year’s many powwows across the state includes the 55th annual Flandreau Powwow, July 14-16 at the Flandreau Wacipi Grounds, featuring a Grand Entry of all the dancers led by the flag bearers. The 141st Annual Rosebud Fair, Wacipi and Rodeo will be held August 24-27 at the Rosebud Fairgrounds. American Indian Day and Powwow is scheduled for September 14-16 at St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain. The variety of arts and music festivals throughout the summer is Native culture comes to life at South Dakota’s many an incredible array of events—far too summer powwows and many to attempt to list them all here. wacipis, with performers like A complete list to help you plan your this young dancer at the Crow Creek Powwow. summer excursions is available from the Arts South Dakota website at www.artssouthdakota.org/arts-events-in-south-dakota.html. You can even add community arts events to the calendar there. Make this a memorable family summer with a trip to a nearby South Dakota arts celebration!
South Dakota is a summer festival of culture By James D. Hagen, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Tourism
South Dakota visitors love our cultural attractions and art destinations—and so do our state’s families who enjoy a summer vacation close to home! It’s not just Mount Rushmore that draws travelers, but an incredible array of museums, theaters, galleries, festivals and powwows. Our cultural heritage especially enriches the summer months as we celebrate the past and boldly explore our future through the artistic vision of our people. Summer is a great time for all of us to discover the cultural treasure trove that keeps visitors flooding into our state. There’s just so much to do in South Dakota! Nearly every summer weekend features an arts festival somewhere in our state, from Aberdeen to Edgemont and from Roslyn to Rapid City. And the best thing about our festivals is the people. Thousands of volunteers, all across South Dakota, make community festivals and weekend celebrations possible as they share their love of hometown and their enthusiasm for throwing a great community get-together with each other and their guests. This summer, take the whole family on voyages of discovery that will create memories to last a lifetime. Take a trip to the Black
Hills and experience Crazy Horse Memorial. Drive to Brookings to see the South Dakota Art Museum and experience our state’s fascinating Children’s Museum. See the internationally acclaimed collection of instruments at the National Music Museum in Vermillion—or the Oscar Howe murals in Mobridge. You’ll find easy directions to those attractions and dozens more at www.travelsouthdakota.com. Every year, from the northern Black Hills at Spearfish to the Missouri riverside at Yankton, tens of thousands of people from across the state and around the nation flock to our arts fairs and festivals throughout the summer. Join them— you’ll see neighbors and make new friends in a relaxed, uniquely South Dakota setting. Cultural tourism is a vital part of our economy, creating jobs, prosperity and lifelong learning in a way that is fun and familyfriendly. We work hard to invite people from our neighboring states to enjoy summer cultural opportunities in South Dakota. We invite you to join them and discover for yourself why we are so proud of our state and its cultural community.
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
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PEOPLE OF THE PLAINS
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gather for arts and culture in Rapid City
In a celebration of Native culture and the creative spirit, Native POP will again be held in downtown Rapid City on Saturday, July 15 from 9 am to 6 pm. Native established and emerging artists spotlighted during the event include Roger Broer, Donald F. Montileaux, Angela Babby, Emil Her Many Horses, Wade Patton, Marlena Myles, Molina Parker and Keith Braveheart. At the Native POP art market, visitors will have the opportunity to buy artwork directly from the artists. A one-day, juried Native American fine art show focusing on Great Plains culture, Native POP is a cultural celebration with Native performing artists and culture bearers sharing and demonstrating their cultural knowledge and artistry throughout the day. Performances will run throughout the day and there will be a free “Sitting Bull’s Warshirt” by concert from 6 to 8 pm to 2016 Native POP close out the event. Best Of Show award Culture bearers are winner Jared Lanz. individuals who carry ancestral knowledge and pass on the traditions and lifeways of their people. In recent years, Native POP culture bearers have included traditional games and lacrosse, regalia making, fashion design, bow and arrow making, quillwork
and beadwork. The Native POP performance stage has included Native flute, powwow drum, folk, blues, hip-hop and alt-rock music, and spoken word in previous performances. As part of the celebration, Native POP will host the second annual fashion show and a Native film showcase. This event highlights the range and diversity of Native art and cultural expression while encouraging dialogue and sharing across cultures. Native POP brings together the communities of Rapid City and the surrounding areas along with the artists, performers and families from the regional tribal nations of the Great Plains. The cultural recognition component of Native POP acknowledges artistic achievement at a ticketed artist awards reception at the Dahl Arts Center on Friday, July 14, presenting $17,000 in awards. The evening offers entertainment, refreshments, a sneak peek at the market’s premiere art and a chance to meet and visit with the artists. For more information, contact John Paul Rangel at johnpaulrangel.phd@gmail.com or visit www.nativepop.org.
2017 Arts Education Institute offers 23 workshops The Arts Education Institute, one of South Dakota’s most popular summer learning opportunities, is back with more classes than ever. Teachers and their students benefit from the fresh new ideas picked up at AEI—and that’s just one advantage to attending the institute. Participation in AEI offers great networking, renewed confidence and course credit, too. The 2017 Arts Education Institute will be held July 17-20 on the campus of Northern State University in Aberdeen. Teachers, administrators and anyone interested in arts education will find complete workshop and registration information at www.artssouthdakota.org/arts-education-institute.html. This year’s edition of AEI offers professional development in arts and learning for all South Dakota teachers and administrators Pre-K through 12th grade, but you don’t have to be an educator to attend. This year’s AEI scholars can choose from a record number of workshops—23 diverse learning experiences. Sign up now for an educational and fun-filled week of learning to infuse the arts into classrooms and curriculum development. AEI is offered for up to Participants in a 2016 Arts Education Institute workshop. two graduate, under-graduate or recertification credits. Mail in your registration with your check/school voucher or register and pay online with your credit card. The cost is $60 per workshop, with additional fees for grad/undergrad credit, dorm and food plans. Class sizes are limited to 12 each, and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Check out classes that range from watercolor fundamentals to ARTsome astronomy, creative photography to ukuleles. It’s all on the Arts South Dakota website, www.artssouthdakota.org. AEI is sponsored by Arts South Dakota, the South Dakota Arts Council and Northern State University. Page 4
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
JazzFest a South Dakota summer highlight Sunshine, a medley of musical offerings and a family-friendly setting at Yankton Trails Park in Sioux Falls are just part of the formula for fun at JazzFest 2017, scheduled for July 13-15. JazzFest features a children’s area, food and art vendors, fireworks, yoga, Zumba, beer and wine gardens plus three days of live music on two stages featuring local talent as well as nationally known headliners. National acts appearing this year include MarchFourth, Robert Cray Band, Jonny Lang and Dotsero. South Dakota bands playing the main stage will be Deadwood-based blues artist Brandon Sprague, Thomas Hentges and his band Burlap Wolf King and the Johnson
Enjoying a summer afternoon at JazzFest 2016. Photo by Bill Tetrault.
McKinney Quartet from Brookings, a group dedicated to jazz education and the Great American Songbook for over 40 years. JazzFest attracts an average of 100,000 people each year and is considered one of South Dakota’s major summer festivals. Organized by the Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society along with a dedicated group of 60 local committee members, the festival relies on over 900 volunteers and the support of city departments. Admission to JazzFest is free of charge, with support from donations, sponsorships and the sale of beverages and JazzFest merchandise. Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues is again partnering with School Bus, Inc. to provide shuttles to and from the JazzFest grounds. Shuttles are $4.00 per person round trip, and a complete shuttle schedule will be posted at www.SiouxFallsJazzFest.com closer to the festival. The Sanford Children’s Jazz Quest Kids Area features arts and crafts, fun projects in partnership with the Washington Pavilion, bounce houses and a stage with activities for kids up to age 12. For the technology buffs, the JazzFest 2017 mobile app sponsored by Dacotah Bank is now available on Apple or Android devices. The app is the official electronic guide to all things JazzFest. Organize and expand your festival experience in one location, create a personal show schedule, learn more about the bands, food vendor menus and easily find your way around the park using the app map. The best thing is—the app is free! You can contact Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues at 605-335-6101, by email at info@sfjb.org or visit www.SiouxFallsJazzFest.com.
Red Cloud Indian Art Show opens Each summer for nearly half a century, the Red Cloud Indian Art Show has celebrated the work of Native artists from tribes across North America. As the only show of its kind held on a reservation, the annual event has emerged as one of the largest and most unique Native art exhibitions in the country. On June 4, The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School will open gallery doors for the 49th Red Cloud Indian Art Show—and welcome visitors from the local community and around the world. “It’s been almost 50 years, but the show’s mission is still the same: to highlight the work of local and national Native artists and to share their incredible talent with the world,” said Mary Maxon, director of The Heritage Center. “We are so proud to have helped launch the careers of so many working artists, from right here on the Pine Ridge Reservation and from other tribal communities across the country. We’re looking forward to creating more opportunities for Native artists to share their work—for many more years to come.” Open seven days a week until August 13, this year’s Red Cloud Indian Art Show will feature new works by more than 60 Native artists. Over $7,000 in prizes will be awarded in 24 different categories, from traditional and cultural pieces to contemporary painting, drawing and sculpture. The Heritage Center’s curator, Ashley Pourier (Oglala Lakota), a Red Cloud Indian School graduate, is looking forward to showcasing the work of both established and emerging Native artists.
Poster art for the 49th annual show is “Battlefield A, B, C” by Michael Two Bulls.
“It’s always wonderful to see the work of incredibly well-known Native artists, like Donald Montileaux and Dwayne Wilcox, alongside art created by emerging Native artists who are just getting started,” said Pourier. “This show has supported generations of artists, at all stages of their careers—from long-standing professionals to those who are showing their work in a gallery for the first time. We hope that seeing the show sparks new interest in the amazing range of Native art in this country—and that it helps inspire a new generation of Native artists as well.” The Red Cloud Indian Art Show is free and open to the public with free daily tours of the gallery as well as Red Cloud’s historic grounds available. For more information, contact The Heritage Center at 605-867-8257 or visit www.redcloudschool.org/artshow.
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
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Jacobson will teach murals and comics
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at Pavilion summer workshops
Following a cross country Black Hills to Seattle and Portland comic book road trip and tour through June 10, Sioux Falls comic artist and illustrator Dylan Jacobson will settle into a teaching mode at the Washington Pavilion this summer. First, Jacobson leads a two-week mural course at the Pavilion at the end of June, focusing on embracing what Sioux Falls means to local students. “We are breaking the workshop into two simultaneous murals,”he said.“The first will be a collaborative expression of their city, the second a collage of individual work by each student.” The artist is also teaching a summer comics camp July 3-6 at the Washington Pavilion. Students will be making comic strips and mini-books in the summer camp, beginning by exploring good storytelling, then transitioning into character creation. Jacobson said the workshop will be a lot of game playing and group work that results in more advanced thinking and creativity from the group. Each student will leave with at least one new character, one strip and his or her own mini-book. “I think students respond well to comics for the same reason I do,” Jacobson said. “We grew up with more than novels—we had cartoons, comics, movies and games. Storytelling was always at our fingertips. And I find my students respond to comics because they are an expressive doorway, that—in my classes at least— become easy entry points for students to express themselves.” Jacobson has been a South Dakota Arts Council Artist In Schools & Communities teaching artist since 2015, and he believes that during his time in classroom residencies, he has learned more than he could ever teach.
Dylan Jacobson teaching comic art in an Artists In Schools & Communities residency. At left is a cover from Jacobson’s book series “Champions.”
“Being on the AISC roster sees me traveling all around the state, and each town and classroom really travels with me,” he said. “South Dakota is special, and I hope to help equip our future leaders, agriculture cornerstones, working people and entrepreneurs with the ability to tell their stories effectively. I couldn’t do that without the Arts Council.” A filmmaking student at Dakota State University and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Jacobson has always been fascinated by good storytelling. An avid reader of books and comics, he grew up watching television and was constantly hooked on flights of fancy, developing an interest in writing and the arts at a young age. His original scripts and storyboards brought him into the realm of comics and, since 2011, Jacobson has released two web comics and the first of a comic book series. For more on Washington Pavilion summer camps, go to www.washingtonpavilion.org. To see Jacobson’s comics and learn more about his art, go to www.dylanjjacobson.com.
VINEGAR FESTIVAL hosts plein air art event
Steve Randall confers with Betty Sheldon at the 2016 International Vinegar Festival plein air event in Roslyn.
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For plein air painters, artists who create their paintings in the open air, northeast South Dakota is a treasure trove of fascinating settings filled with sights to stir creative juices. Roslyn’s annual International Vinegar Festival has added a plein air painting event to its line-up of attractions. The community is hosting artists from around the world June 10-17 to share the beauty of the rolling hills and lakes around Roslyn and create art from their inspiration. The public is invited to watch, learn and purchase the paintings. To see all of the finished work and have a chance to buy original art directly from the artists, go to the International Vinegar Festival in Roslyn, June 17, from 10 am to 3 pm. In addition to the plein air event, there will be festivities throughout the day, including entertainment, food, a parade and of lots of excitement at the International Vinegar Museum. For more information, including registration forms and details about the festival, visit www.internationalvinegarmuseum.com/festival.html, call 800-342-4519 or email Vinegar@vinegarman.com for more information.
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
Wilder books cover artist to speak at author’s 150th birthday party rtist Judy Thompson will be speaking and demonstrating at Laura Ingalls Wilder's 150th Birthday Party in De Smet July 14-15. A South Dakota Arts Council roster artist, Thompson is the painter of the cover art for the wildly popular books about Wilder published by the South Dakota Historical Society Press, Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography and the newly released Pioneer Girl Perspectives. Thompson will be an added featured speaker at the annual De Smet Laura Ingalls Wilder pageant and celebration, which commemorates the years the Ingalls family homesteaded near the Kingsbury County community. Thompson was chosen as the cover illustrator as a result of her 2012 exhibition at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. Based on first-person accounts of the early homesteaders and sketches made during prairie hikes, her Homestead Series paintings attracted the attention of Nancy Koupal, director of the Pioneer Girl Project, which created the two Wilder books. Koupal asked Thompson to do the cover art, and Thompson said she has been thrilled to be part of the Wilder project. “Laura’s writing is seasoned with a refreshing energy and honesty which allow us to relate to her as a kindred spirit,” she said. “I love her sparky independence, her restlessness to explore the landscape and her breathtaking descriptions of the prairie.”
In De Smet, Thompson plans to share her personal artistic journey and explain how she crossed artistic paths with Laura Ingalls Wilder. “I will have images of my original book cover art on display and will also bring samples of my preliminary sketches,” Thompson said. “Using these visuals, I will talk about how I created the artwork along with reactions to my work. I am also scheduled to demonstrate my watercolor process and to talk about creating my prairie paintings. It will be a fun event which also features Nancy Koupal, the editor of the new Pioneer Girl Perspectives, contributing writers and even actors from the Little House on the Prairie TV show.”
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Judy Thompson
The internationally acclaimed book about Laura Ingalls Wilder, Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography, featured this painting, “Silver Lake Reflections” by Judy Thompson, on its cover.
Thompson’s “Summer Fields,” chosen for the cover of Pioneer Girl Perspectives.
As both a teaching artist and a touring artist for the SD Arts Council, Thompson takes her skills and her paintings to South Dakota communities. In her teaching residencies, she brings art to students in classroom settings—many of which do not have arts programs as part of their core curriculums. Her touring programs exhibit the Homestead Series and feature talks about her inspiration and process as an artist. “My goal in the classroom is to introduce art concepts and to give students tools to create and express themselves through fun projects,” she said. “In my touring talks, I encourage others to explore and express the creative side which lies within all of us—it is never too late to begin an artistic journey!” Meet Thompson at the Wilder birthday party July 14-15 in De Smet or view her Homestead Series paintings on exhibit at the Nicollet Tower in Sisseton through August 28. For more information, go to www.judythompsonwatercolors.com.
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
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Prairie Rep announces 47th season
Prairie Repertory Theatre urban courtship by using is back on the boards in two time-tested coping Brookings and Brandon for mechanisms for the the company’s 47th season traumas and elations of of summer theater. With love—humor and music. its dual role to provide Nick is a single, outstanding training for Italian-American guy from student actors and New Jersey in Over the technicians, and the best River and through the possible entertainment, Woods. His parents A scene from the 2016 Prairie Repertory Theatre production of “Hairspray.” Prairie Repertory Theatre retired and moved to is proud to present four smash hits for the summer. Florida, but he still sees both sets of his grandparents every Sunday Sister Act is a feel-good musical comedy smash based on the for dinner. Then he has to tell them that he’s been offered a dream hit 1992 film, featuring original music by Tony- and eight-time Oscar job that would take him away, beginning a series of schemes to winner, Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of keep Nick around. Horrors). This uplifting musical was nominated for five Tony Awards, Based on the cult hit film of the same name, The Full Monty, including Best Musical. a ten-time Tony Award nominee, is filled with honest affection, One of the longest runengaging melodies and the most highly anticipated closing number ning shows in Off-Broadway of any show. Right to the end, audiences will be wondering if these history, I Love You, You’re lovable misfits will really pull it off. Perfect, Now Change, For schedules in both communities and ticket information, go explores contemporary to www.prairierep.org.
How about a guided tour?
The 2017 South Dakota Vacation Guide is now available. Updated each year and packed with information about the entire state, the guide includes highlights of South Dakota’s Great 8, must-see stops, business listings and more. If you would like printed copies sent to your business, you can order them on the website. You can also access the digital Vacation Guide online. For itineraries, calendars and lots of valuable travel tips, go to www.travelsouthdakota.com to start your adventures in South Dakota.
Black Hills Film Festival awards presented
The Black Hills Film Festival was held in April in Hill City and Rapid City, with an impressive variety of films vying for the Best Film Awards for 2017. Wild Prairie Rose, shot in rural Beresford, was chosen as Best Feature Film. Director Deborah LaVine, program director of the graduate level film-directing program at California Institute of Arts, made the film which explores the changing roles of women in the 50s. The Best Short Film award was presented to a team from Aberdeen, Director Brian Hoesing and Producer Terra McQuillen, for Duffy’s Jacket, which was also filmed in Aberdeen. Best Documentary Feature at the 2017 festival was Floating Horses: The Life of Casey Tibbs. Filmmaker Justin Koehler currently lives in Denver but grew up on a ranch near Midland, SD. Justin makes documentary films that have been featured on Discovery, HGTV, The Weather Channel and PBS. His first documentary film, The Buffalo King, screened at the Black Hills Film Festival in 2013. The Last Steps, winner for Best Documentary Short, is from the director of Emmy Award-winning Dinosaur 13. The Last Steps Page 8
follows the Apollo 17 mission using only archival footage and audio from Houston’s Mission Control and the astronauts themselves. To learn more about this year’s Black Hills Film Festival or watch films and trailers, go to www.blackhillsfilmfestival.org.
Deborah LaVine conducted a discussion about directing and filmmaking following the screening of “Wild Prairie Rose” at the Black Hills Film Festival.
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
Hilarity hits the stage at Black Hills Playhouse Experience theater under the pines of the beautiful Black Hills with one of the longest-running summer theater companies in South Dakota. Based in Custer State Park, the Black Hills Playhouse offers a relaxed, rural setting and professional-class theater. This year’s playbill features great entertainment with new and familiar shows. Based on a novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Peter and the Starcatcher, running June 9-25, features a dozen brilliant actors playing more than 100 unforgettable characters in an evening of madcap fun. This five time Tony Award winning prequel to Peter Pan is sure to have you hooked from the moment you let your imagination take flight. Young Frankenstein, intended for mature audiences, runs June 30 through July 16. This electrifying adaptation of Mel Brooks’ monstrously funny film will leave you in stitches. With the help of a hunchbacked sidekick and a leggy lab assistant, Frederick Frankenstein brings to life a creature to rival his grandfather’s. Eventually, of course, the monster escapes and humor abounds. The lively three time Tony nominated Broadway musical Grease runs July 21 through August 6, featuring 50s charm, incredible music and high-energy dance numbers. This popular musical features Rydell High’s senior class of 1959 including the hot-rodding Burger Palace Boys and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking Pink Ladies. Unnecessary Farce hits the boards August 11-20 with two hours of non-stop mayhem. Mix two cops, three crooks and eight doors, with one silly bit overlapping the next. Think Marx Brothers, updated in tempo and relevance for today’s world. For more information, ticket availability and directions to the Playhouse, go to www.blackhillsplayhouse.com. At left, “The Addams Family Musical” fills the stage during a 2016 Black Hills Playhouse production. Both BHP photos by Deb Kern Workman.
Northern Fort Playhouse lights up July with theater fun The Fort Sisseton State Park is the scene of summer theater fun as the Northern Fort Playhouse presents two shows during the month of July. Boeing Boeing hits the stage Saturday, July 8 at 7:30 pm and repeats Friday, July 14 at 7:30 pm; Sunday, July 16 at 2 pm, and again on Friday, July 21 at 7:30 pm. This 1960s French farce adapted for the English-speaking stage features self-styled Parisian lothario Bernard, who has Italian, German and American fiancées— each beautiful airline hostesses with frequent layovers. Unexpected schedule changes bring all three girls to Paris and Bernard’s apartment at the same time—with hilarious results. Wonderettes: Dream On opens Friday, July 7 at 7:30 pm and is back Sunday, July 9 at 2 pm; Saturday, July 15th at 7:30 pm, and closes Saturday, July 22 at 7:30 pm. It’s 1969 and The Marvelous Wonderettes are back at Springfield High to throw a retirement party for their favorite homeroom teacher. As the girls sing their way through the greatest girl-group hits of the 60s and bid Ms. McPherson a fond farewell, one of the Wonderettes reveals she’ll also be saying goodbye to search for success and happiness on her own. Act Two finds the girls back together as the class of 1958 celebrates their 20-year reunion. The classic pop and rock hits of the 70s provide the soundtrack for these old friends to catch up on
“Making God Laugh” was a 2016 Northern Fort Playhouse production.
the places life has led them. Following the performance on July 15, Fort Sisseton will host the Annual Lantern Tour, a unique look at the Fort by lantern light, with stories from the past. Ticket reservations can be made by calling 605-467-3247 or go to www.northernfortplayhouse.com for more information.
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
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Hitting the high notes New York Times spotlights state’s vital arts scene
Board of Directors
Brian Bonde, Sioux Falls Janet Brown, Seattle, WA Richard “Dick” Brown, Custer Brian Hildebrant, Brookings Dr. Craig Howe, Martin Katie Hunhoff, Yankton Dale Lamphere, Sturgis Ellen Lee, Pierre
Staff
Jim Speirs, Executive Director Shari Kosel, Programs and Communications Director PO Box 2496, Sioux Falls, SD 57101-2496 Phone: 605-252-5979 Email: info@ArtsSouthDakota.org, jim@ArtsSouthDakota.org or shari@ArtsSouthDakota.org Website: www.ArtsSouthDakota.org Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! @ArtsSD
Arts Alive South Dakota is a collaborative publication of Arts South Dakota and the South Dakota Arts Council. SDAC receives funding through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and from the State of South Dakota through a portion of the tourism promotion tax. The South Dakota Arts Council is a state agency within the Department of Tourism.
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By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota
As we discuss the future of the National Endowment for the Arts and its impact on rural states like South Dakota, it’s encouraging that the New York Times sent Michael Cooper to our state to interview arts organization leaders and citizens to assess that impact. According to Cooper, “Mostly rural states like South Dakota could have outsize importance in deciding the fate of the endowment... South Dakota, which has fewer than a million people, received the fifth-highest amount of federal arts money per person in the nation last year, and the endowment’s generally small grants can have a bigger impact here than they would at the Metropolitan Operas of the world.” The story talked about Shakespeare at the Matthews Opera House in Spearfish; discussed the appeal of the Rolling Rez Arts, an airport shuttle bus that has been transformed into a mobile art classroom and art gallery for Pine Ridge and other reservations, and recent exhibitions at the Dahl Arts Center, which logs 35,000 visitors each year. Cooper also visited with the music director of the Black Hills Symphony Orchestra, who pointed out that state arts council grants “supported concerts which drew some 5,700 people last year and school activities which reached more than 2,000 students.” Spotlighting these South Dakota arts organizations, each of which receive funding from the National Endowment through grants from the South Dakota Arts Council, the story clearly illustrates that many arts experiences would not happen without the support of federal funding. This kind of national attention for our creative scene is gratifying, and reminds us of the quality of the arts in South Dakota. It also underscores the value of the National Endowment for the Arts to our state. As the state that received the “fifth-highest amount of federal arts money per person in the nation last year,” we get an incredible return on our investment here in South Dakota. In fact, we spend 47¢ per capita—and receive $1.12 per capita back from Washington in the form of NEA grants. That’s sound business—and a resource we can’t afford to lose. Your advocacy for this critical federal-state partnership that brings the arts and artists to young audiences across South Dakota is needed now! Let our leaders know that the NEA is vital to a creative South Dakota. To read the New York Times complete article, go to our Advocacy page at www.artssouthdakota.org/advocacy.html. To connect with our Congressional delegation or learn more about Arts South Dakota programs, join us online at www.ArtsSouthDakota.org.
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
#SAVE theNEA: A call to action! The White House proposed budget to Congress officially recommends full termination of funding of both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for FY2018. This is the first American president in history to propose zeroing out all funding for the nation’s federal cultural agencies. Eliminating the NEA would be a devastating blow to the arts in America. For more than 50 years, the NEA has expanded access to the arts for all Americans, especially here in South Dakota, awarding grants in every Congressional district throughout all 50 states and U.S. Territories. The NEA is also an economic powerhouse, generating more than $600 million annually in additional matching funds and helping to shape a $730 billion arts and culture industry that represents 4.2% of the nation’s GDP and supports 4.8 million jobs. The federal appropriations process does not end here. The President's request outlines his administration’s policy priorities. However, Congress holds the constitutional authority to appropriate funds to federal agencies.
Now is the time for a concerted grassroots effort to convince Congress to #SAVEtheNEA. Federal-state partnership grows the arts in South Dakota
Our
47¢
per capita investment in the NEA
grows to
$1.12
per capita given back to South Dakota in the form of NEA grants.
Arts education is a vital component of the federal-state partnership in South Dakota.
Contact our Congressional delegation today— and encourage your friends on Facebook and Twitter to do the same! Senator John Thune United States Senate SD-511 Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-2321 www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact Senator Mike Rounds Hart Senate Office Bldg., Suite 502 Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-5842 rounds.senate.gov/contact/email-mike
Representative Kristi Noem 2457 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-2801 noem.house.gov/index.cfm/email-kristi
Go to www.ArtsSouthDakota.org and sign up to receive Advocacy Alerts!
Check Arts South Dakota’s website, www.ArtsSouthDakota.org, for details on issues, news and an interactive arts events calendar. Follow Arts South Dakota on Facebook and Twitter for timely advocacy updates @ArtsSD.
Americans for the Arts (AFTA) has established an Arts Mobilization Center for up to the minute info on the arts at the federal level, and you can sign up for the Arts Action Fund. www.americansforthearts.org/news-room/arts-mobilization-center
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
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Vision for the arts Art on the run By Patrick Baker, Director, South Dakota Arts Council
A state agency of the Department of Tourism
Dennis Daugaard, Governor James D. Hagen, Secretary
South Dakota Arts Council
James L. Walker, Bath, Chair Lynne Byrne, Sioux Falls, Vice Chair Mary Bordeaux, Rapid City, Secretary Lynda Clark Adelstein, Rapid City, Treasurer Linda Anderson, Rapid City Brian Bonde, Sioux Falls Laura Diddle, Brookings Mary Haug, Brookings Andrew Kightlinger, Pierre Deanna Lien, Rapid City Jane Rasmussen, Sisseton
Staff
Patrick Baker, Director Rebecca Cruse, Deputy Director Kathryn Vandel, Arts Program Coordinator Paul Mehlhaff, Grants Officer Andrea Graham, Folk Arts Consultant 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.
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The arts and travel go together like guitars and strings— from pop-up art galleries to hard-core troubadours (thanks for coining the latter, Steve Earle). Around here, maybe even more so: the South Dakota Arts Council’s (SDAC) Touring Artists and Artists In Schools & Communities programs, the First Peoples Fund’s Rolling Rez Arts, the Governor’s Biennial Art Exhibition, the Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues’ Jazz Diversity Project and all the many artists who tour independently just get the conversation started for our large and diverse state. It’s in that same spirit of celebrating the wonder of wandering that SDAC and Arts South Dakota (ASD) have been on tour together for nearly a year now. The “Arts Road Trip” that started with ASD Director Jim Speirs and I visiting communities last summer and fall has expanded to our full teams, plus a facilitator, traversing the state this spring to hear from citizens on their own turf. South Dakota’s state arts agency has teamed up with the statewide grassroots advocacy and service organization to meet people where they make art, support it, consume it, appreciate it and administer it. We scheduled nine regional arts meetings over two weeks of travel. In April we visited Pierre, Eagle Butte, Pine Ridge, Rapid City, and Spearfish. The second week in May we made stops in Aberdeen, Watertown, Yankton and Sioux Falls. One might ask (and some already have), why all the travel? It’s not for frequent flier miles, since we’re highway-bound, or the glamour of life on the road—just ask Jim, who had his dog to look after in April so spent nights in parking lots in his camping vehicle. It’s because we want to hear from you about the state of the arts in South Dakota without the tinny filter of voicemail or the soulless glow of an email screen. I’m sure my colleagues are tired of hearing me kick off meetings by saying, “We’re here to witness an organic conversation about the arts.” And while “organic” may seem like just a fancy word for natural, it’s true that we want to hear ideas and concerns from the people who are influenced by the varied neighbors, plants, animals and ground surrounding and supporting them in these different areas. That diversity was apparent across the first leg of our trip, where each group we met with was distinct: the search for synergy across organizations in Pierre; the youth-driven interests in Eagle Butte; the small but sincere and thought-provoking group in Pine Ridge; the enthusiastic masses in Rapid City, and the spectrum of Spearfish, spanning veteran artists to city and economic development officials. There have also been some trends seemingly emerging across communities like a theatrical through line. When the dust settles on this tour, we’ll organize all of this public input— including the findings from the statewide arts survey we issued earlier in the year— and put the report back out into the public sphere. All of this information will form the foundation of our respective strategic planning for years to come, which is really where the rubber meets the road, if you’ll forgive the pun. And if we missed you in May, don’t worry—the tour will continue, and the #SDArtsRoadTrip will eventually make a stop at a venue near you.
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
Oscar Howe Summer Art Institute continues Native art traditions A new generation of artists will be sharpening their skills at this year’s Oscar Howe Summer Art Institute (OHSAI), June 11-23 on the campus of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. Open to high school students grades 10-12 with a demonstrated interest in the visual arts and American Indian culture, the Institute provides workshops for a group of 20 talented and committed high school art students to learn about contemporary Native American Fine Arts with a focus on Native American culture, history and traditions. All courses are taught by impressive professional artists and all students attend free of charge, including meals, housing, instruction and art supplies. OHSAI honors longtime University of South Dakota professor and American Indian Northern Plains artist Oscar Howe by helping educate the next generation of potential Native American artists. Howe established a summer art institute in the 1960s that provided instruction to avid students desiring to learn more about Native American art. Although this Institute only lasted a few years, the
A contemporary Oscar Howe Summer Art Institute class.
This photo from 1965 shows Oscar Howe, left, with student artists David Sebring, Herman Red Elk and Donald F. Montileaux.
spirit inspired the current form of the OHSAI. The Institute has supported many students who have gone on to become professional artists, including Donald F. Montileaux, David Sebring, Herman Red Elk and Jennifer White. Instructors for this year’s workshops include acclaimed Native American artists Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and Neal Ambrose-Smith. Quick-to-See Smith has conducted more than 180 workshops at universities and museums around the world and exhibited in 90 solo exhibitions. Ambrose-Smith is a contemporary painter, sculptor, printmaker and educator. Works by both artists are included in the collections of national and international museums. For more information about the Oscar Howe Summer Art Institute, email art@usd.edu, phone 605-677-5636 or visit www.usd.edu/fine-arts/art/ohsai.
SculptureWalk brings 56 outdoor works to downtown Sioux Falls From its inception in 2003, SculptureWalk has made news for its wide variety of outdoor sculptures displayed year-round in Sioux Falls. Artists place their sculptures in the program for one year, and all sculptures are aggressively promoted to the public for sale. Artists are also eligible to win awards totaling $15,000 in categories including Best of Show and People’s Choice. This year’s 56 sculptures, with a total value of $1.2 million, are now on display in downtown Sioux Falls, at the University of Sioux Falls and the Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center. Artists from 21 states were selected to bring work to this year’s exhibition. Originally, 180 sculptures were submitted, with the finalists chosen by a volunteer team of business leaders, artists and art patrons. To view the works, learn more about the artists and cast your vote for People’s Choice, visit www.sculpturewalksiouxfalls.com.
“Eclipse” by Tim James and Aidan DeMarais, Good Thunder, MN.
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
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Black Hills Bounty
shared in traditional arts exhibit By South Dakota Arts Council Folklorist Andrea Graham
Rosella Beaumont demonstrates rosemaling at the 2016 Central States Fair, where the Black Hills Rosemaling Association had a booth.
Dave Utter created this hooked rug from an old family photograph. Utter studied with Valerie Begeman through a Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant from the South Dakota Arts Council.
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The Black Hills of South Dakota are known for their scenic beauty and historically for their mineral and timber wealth, but the riches of their traditional cultures and art forms may not be as well recognized. A recent field research project, exhibit and festival organized by the SDAC’s Traditional Arts Program hopes to change that, and bring the region’s distinctive living heritage to a wider audience. Fieldwork began in the summer of 2015 when I started visiting traditional artists (some of whom had participated in previous SDAC programs), contacting organizations such as quilt guilds and ethnic associations, and asking everyone if they knew of individuals who were carrying on craft or performance traditions from their community. The lists of names and organizations grew quickly, and fieldwork to interview and document artists continued through the fall of 2016. Some of the strongest Black Hills traditions are in the fiber arts—quilting, weaving, spinning, knitting, rug hooking and raising animals such as sheep and llamas for their fiber. There are quilt guilds in nearly every town in the hills, many of which sponsor annual shows, as well as spinning and weaving groups, fiber guilds, and yarn and fabric stores. Star quilts are an important part of Lakota culture, used for rites of passage such as births, graduations and deaths, as well as to honor tribal members for special achievements. Crafts and performance arts associated with the region’s Western heritage also continue to thrive. Leatherwork, horsehair braiding, cowboy poetry and music, blacksmithing and woodcarving can all be found. Even the motorcycle culture of Sturgis has its traditions, among them leatherwork and motorcycle Whitney Sprunk’s “Leather and Beaded Shave Kit,” customizing, such as pinstriping. leather and beadwork, 6.5 by 12.5 inches. Of the many immigrant groups who settled in the Black Hills, the Norwegians have made a particular effort to maintain and pass on their traditions. The Rapid City Sons of Norway teach culture classes, sponsor a dance group and host several events each year. Some of the art forms being practiced include woodcarving, blacksmithing, Hardanger embroidery, rosemaling and cooking. The Chapel in the Hills Norwegian stave church on the outskirts of Rapid City is the most visible aspect of the rich Norwegian history of the area. Many of these traditional arts will be shown in Black Hills Bounty - Traditional Arts from South Dakota, on display at the Dahl Arts Center from June 2 through August 19, with an opening reception from 5 to 7 pm on June 2. The next day, Saturday, June 3, there will be a free folklife festival from 10 am to 4 pm at the Dahl, with demonstrations and performances by many of the artists. Blacksmithing, wood turning, and motorcycle pinstriping will be outside, while inside visitors can see quilting, weaving, leatherwork, rosemaling, and horsehair hitching; hear old-time western music and cowboy poetry, and see and participate in Lakota hoop dancing and Norwegian dancing. The project is funded by the State of South Dakota through the South Dakota Arts Council, a division of the South Dakota Department of Tourism, and by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Partnering organizations include the Dahl Arts Center and Arts South Dakota. For more information, contact the South Dakota Arts Council at www.artscouncil.sd.gov or the Dahl Arts Center at www.thedahl.org.
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
South Dakota student excels at national poetry competition
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Madison Lukomski, a Lincoln High School senior from Sioux Falls, recently competed in the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, DC, where she placed among the top nine students in the nation and won $1,000 cash and a $500 voucher for her school library to use for the purchase of poetry books. Lukomski qualified for the national finals after competing in and winning the Poetry Out Loud state finals March 13 in Sioux Falls. To compete in the final round of the national competition, she advanced out of a 17-state semi-final round, and was selected as one of the three students to move forward to the final night of competition. In addition to the trip to the National Finals, Lukomski also won, from the state finals event, a $200 cash award, a $300 Barnes & Noble gift card and a Shakespeare anthology. Her school library received an additional $500 to be used for the purchase of poetry books. Eight students from high schools across South Dakota competed for the state title. Gabriel Pulliam-Sanchez, a student at Little Wound High School in Kyle was the state runner-up. Pulliam-Sanchez was awarded $100 cash, a $150 Barnes & Noble gift card, a poetry anthology, and his school received $200 for the purchase of poetry books. The following students received poetry anthologies for qualifying as state finalists, but the remaining scores were not ranked: Jennifer Sundermeyer, Flandreau High School; Elizabeth Ocegueda, Harrisburg High School; Marie McLaughlin, Greater Sioux Falls Homeschool Association; Shaina Determan, Hanson High School; Jane Walsh, Washington High School, and McKayla Kludt, Watertown High School. Libby Murphy, Lincoln High School; Rosie Little Whiteman, Little Wound High School, and Ethan Tasa, Sisseton High School, were awarded for their original poems in a separate component of the competition. Each received $100. Two teachers were also awarded for their efforts in and out of the classroom as Poetry Out Loud coaches. Sharon Prendergast, Sisseton High School, was awarded the South Dakota Poetry Out
Madison Lukomski, far left, with the other eight 2017 POL finalists and NEA Chairman Jane Chu, center, at this year’s national competition.
Loud Teacher of the Year award and received $500. Daniel Snethen, Little Wound High School, was the runner-up and received $250. Poetry Out Loud is a recitation program and competition that urges the teaching of poetry as an oral art form in high schools. Schools that participate in Poetry Out Loud enter students into a preliminary round, from which the state finalists are chosen. Poetry Out Loud was created in partnership by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, with the collaboration of State Arts Agencies. Through Poetry Out Loud, students master public-speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. In South Dakota, POL is administered by the South Dakota Arts Council, an office of the state Department of Tourism, in partnership with Arts South Dakota and South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
Sioux Falls Arts Council unveils action plan The Sioux Falls Arts Council has laid out within the arts and cultural community, an action plan charting a fresh course assisting and sponsoring other arts for the organization. The council will organizations and, down the road, become an entity that specializes in coordinating a community-wide arts coordination and public accessibility celebratory arts event that generates rather than programming. tourism and economic traffic. “Gone are the days when the The Arts Council’s action plan is rooted in Sioux Falls Imagined: A Cultural arts council is needed to create arts Plan for a Vibrant and Prosperous City, experiences for residents,” said SFAC the community’s formal Cultural Plan, Executive Director Kara Dirkson. adopted in 2014 by the City Council. “Today our city is full of artistic and The Sioux Falls Arts Council The Sioux Falls Arts Council is cultural vibrancy. Our proverbial arts Featured Artist Program responsible for implementing this train is moving—it’s time for the Sioux displays works by local artists. long-term plan which is a blueprint for Falls Arts Council to help lay the tracks economically and culturally growing and get the public on board.” the community through the arts. Visit www.artssiouxfalls.org for The Arts Council’s action plan emphasizes eliminating barriers more information on the SFAC’s action plan and the Cultural Plan. to the arts for community members, facilitating communication
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
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SD Art Museum summer shows feature state artists, permanent collections ummer exhibitions at the South Dakota Art Museum feature the drama and pathos of war, the galloping horses of the Plains tribes and the creative vision of South Dakota artists. The Brookings museum, on the campus of South Dakota State University, is a must-see stop for travelers and state residents alike with a diverse collection.
S
Native horses fill Goble’s books
HORSES: Illustrations by Paul Goble, showcases the wide variety of equine illustrations in the books of the late South Dakota artist. Running through August 27, the show focuses on the many depictions of horses in Goble’s children’s books. The books the illustrations are drawn from include: Death of A Paul Goble illustration from the book “Remaking the Earth.” the Iron Horse, Dream Wolf, The Gift of the Sacred Dog, The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, The Great Race, Iktomi and the Buffalo Skull, Lone Bull’s Horse Raid, Love Flute, and Remaking the Earth. These books are available for reference in the exhibition gallery and are available for purchase in the South Dakota Art Museum Store. To learn more about the artist, read Paul Goble, Storyteller, by Gregory Bryan. Published by the South Dakota State Historical Society Press with support from SDAC, the biography captures a life that is unfamiliar to most Americans.
Harvey Dunn works commemorate WWI centennial
April 6, 2017, marked the 100-year anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War I. Harvey Dunn: WAR WORKS From the Permanent Collection, exhibited through September 3, displays the powerful images Dunn created as one of eight official war artists selected for special service with the American Expeditionary Forces by Gen. John J. Pershing. On the front lines and in the shell-torn villages, Dunn sketched weary soldiers, refugees and the ravages of war. When the Armistice ended the war on November 11, 1918, Dunn had completed around 30 paintings in addition to his many sketches. Most of these would eventually become a part of the historical collection of the National Museum of American History, but some are housed in the permanent Dunn collection at the South Dakota Art Museum.
At left is “The Return” by Harvey Dunn, oil on canvas.
Women’s voices speak in South Dakota Artists exhibit
Women At Work: South Dakota Artists features 18 female artists currently living and working in South Dakota. It is a small survey of some of the many women artists working across our state, intended to be a sampling of the range and quality of artworks being made by women here and now. This multi-generational exhibition includes artists in their 20s to their 70s. The range of sensibilities to be found within the show is equally far-reaching. The exhibition includes painterly, expressive and organic forms as well as architectural, graphic and illustrative ones; works that are whimsical or rooted in aesthetics along with those that are thought-provoking and socially or politically engaged; works made of found materials and others rooted in traditional fine art media. The collective breadth of techniques, processes and material choices is a standout feature of the show, revealing exciting possibilities and directions within art making in the state. South Dakota Art Museum is open Monday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday 12 noon to 4 pm. For more information, call 605-688-5423, toll free 866-805-7590, or go to www.southdaktoaartmuseum.com.
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www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
Amy Jarding’s weaving, “Magi” from 2016, is part of the “Women At Work” exhibition at SDAM.
Nature swept into abstract visions in V isual Arts Center shows
Exhibitions running now at the Washington Pavilion display two separate interpretations of the world around us, communicated in abstract art. The Washington Pavilion’s Visual Art Center in downtown Sioux Falls has filled two galleries with images inspired by nature to celebrate summer.
Translating scents, sights, texture into paint
M o t h e r l o a d, running through August 6 in the Contemporary Gallery, features paint splashed brilliantly across large canvases. Teresa Dunn’s elaborate, colorful paintings are accumulations of observed objects, landscapes and people—while abstract, each piece is rooted in reality. Plants from Dunn’s backyard are swept away in swirls of pattern like water, and objects like a pink flamingo hide in patterns of shape and color. These paintings grew from Dunn’s experience of bringing her daughter into the world as one of her closest friends was dying of cancer. She became aware of mortality and the ephemerality of experience—the scents, sights and tactility of the world and how these passing experiences translate into paint.
“Amass/Sort/Adhere/Sever Mark IV,” mixed media, 2017, by J. Charles Cox.
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City leaders and community arts advocates are planning to renovate Manuel Brothers Park with some unusual interactive equipment—a set of musical devices intended for the use of children at the park. Included in the park update plan are large-scale, outdoor equivalents of common and not-so-common musical instruments. They will allow children to experiment with making sounds on the drums, pagoda bells, chimes, xylophones and lily pad cymbals, which will be installed next to the park’s playground equipment. The musical park concept was adapted from a park created in Moab, Utah in 1995 and is still functioning after more than 20 years of use. The Lead community is supporting the effort, with the Lead City Commission voting for a temporary loan to get the idea off the ground. The musical instruments for the park are being manufactured by Freenotes Harmony Park of Durango, Colorado.
Teresa Dunn’s “Interlaced,” a 2015 oil on paper mounted on canvas.
Dunn is currently an associate professor of painting at Michigan State University. A three-time recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Fellowship, Dunn is represented by Hooks-Epstein Galleries in Houston, Texas; First Street Gallery in NYC, and Galerie l’Échaudé in Paris, France.
Sorted images mix layers of meaning
The large mixed media drawings and collages of J. Charles Cox, Amass/Sort/Adhere/Sever, take over the Visual Arts Center’s Shultz Gallery through July 30. Cox’s meticulous mixed media artworks began with observations of the complex social structures of birds, other animals and people. The artist noticed that we group ourselves in real life and on the Internet. We sort our acquaintances, sometimes unfollowing and unfriending each other. Alluding to this digital cataloging, Cox sorted images from a variety of sources in a process that involved screen-printing and hand-drawn marks. Cox then turned his sorted images into large-scale abstract works that pull us in with repeated lines and shapes we can’t quite name. Cox earned his MFA from the University of South Dakota and is currently an Instructor of Visual Arts at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. His work has been exhibited in over 75 regional, national and international exhibitions, including venues in South Dakota, Minnesota, New York, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. For more information about the Washington Pavilion’s Visual Arts Center, visit www.washingtonpavilion.org.
Lead raising funds for musical park
Photo courtesy of Freenotes Harmony Park.
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
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RedCan Graffiti Jam
is one-of-a-kind arts happening This summer, graffiti artists from around the world will converge in a small town on the South Dakota prairie for a one-of-a-kind arts celebration: the third annual RedCan Graffiti Jam from the Cheyenne River Youth Project (CRYP). The nonprofit organization has just launched a new teaser trailer for RedCan 2017, available at www.lakotayouth.org/redcan and on YouTube. The RedCan gathering, scheduled for June 29 through July 1 at CRYP’s Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count) Art Park and at sites throughout the Eagle Butte community, is unlike any other public graffiti event in the country. On the remote, 2.8-million-acre Cheyenne River Lakota reservation, graffiti culture and Lakota culture come together in an explosion of artistic innovation, creativity and multicultural fellowship. Featured artists this year are Estria from Hawaii; East from Denver; Serval from Switzerland; Scribe from Kansas City, Missouri; Scape Martinez from San Francisco; Kazilla and ER from Miami; Dwayno Insano from Tucson, Arizona, and Biafra Inc., Cyfi and Wundr from Minnesota’s Twin Cities. Hosting such a major event with acclaimed artists from around the world is no small task, and CRYP is asking for support from RedCan
Above, a work by Biafra Inc. from the 2016 RedCan Graffiti Jam. The artist will be returning for this year’s event in Eagle Butte. Photo by Richard Steinberger.
fans. Simply click on “Help CRYP” to make an online donation, and include the note “RedCan 2017.” All proceeds will be used to purchase paint, artist supplies, food and beverages, and to help cover the artists’ travel expenses. For more information on how to help support RedCan, contact organizers at www.redcan.cryp@gmail.com. For information about this year’s RedCan Graffiti Jam, please visit www.lakotayouth.org/redcan, where you also can view documentaries from the first two annual events, and much more. In the coming weeks, CRYP will be sharing more information about planned activities and performances through the website and through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram—hashtag #RedCanRising.
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Eclectic shows highlight summer arts at the Dahl Free-wheeling fun and art works inspired by the Black Hills will be spotlighted this summer at the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City with the installation of Le Tour d’Art and the 12th annual show and sale for the Artists of the Black Hills (ABH) group. Le Tour d’Art features painted bicycles and cycling-inspired oil-on-canvas paintings by Gregg Rochester in the Ruth Brennan gallery from June 16 through October 14. Rochester, a large-scale landscape oil painter, has combined his love of cycling and his background as a painter. In his latest exhibit he elaborately paints bicycles with themes such as African textiles, reptile skin, maps, ancient beads, marbles, outer space and the Northern lights. Each bicycle is unique, often painted differently on each side. A third generation painter, Rochester was named Wisconsin Artist of the Year in 2012. In 1989 he began creating hand painted clothing designs, with his wearable art featured in specialty boutiques and internationally in the Coldwater Creek catalog. Growing up in South Dakota had an impact on Gregg’s unique views of the landscape. Most of his work does “Pucci Bike Painted Bicycle,” 2016, by Gregg Rochester. not involve realistic renditions, but a contemporary vision of his landscape memories. Landscapes and Black Hills life figure prominently in the works of members of Artists of the Black Hills. The group’s annual show and sale runs June 30 through September 9 in the Sen. Stan Adelstein & Lynda K. Clark gallery at the Dahl. The exhibition will showcase the work of approximately 35 individual members whose artwork includes numerous mediums and styles of painting, sculpting, photography, printmaking, jewelry, assemblage and glasswork. Artists of the Black Hills is an organization of professional artists, artisans, and galleries who joined together with the common goal of presenting and promoting the Black Hills region as an art destination. The group’s purpose is to showcase the large pool of artistic talent in the Black Hills area and the impact art makes on the quality of life in the Black Hills. For more information on the Artists of the Black Hills, please visit www.artistsoftheblackhills.com. For more information on these and other exhibitions at the Dahl Arts Center, plus directions and hours, go to www.thedahl.org. Visitors attend the 2016 reception for the Artists of the Black Hills Annual Exhibit at the Dahl Arts Center.
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www.ArtsSouthDakota.org
Three South Dakotans receive 2017 Bush Fellowships Three South Dakota leaders, all from Rapid City, are among 24 programs across the country to gain new perspectives and knowledge. recipients of the 2017 Bush Fellowship. Each Bush fellow will Vaughn Vargas knows that an effective police force needs to receive up to $100,000 to pursue the education and experiences reflect the racial makeup of the community it is sworn to protect. they believe will help make them more effective leaders. He is coordinator of the first-ever cultural advisory committee in Heather Dawn Thompson wants to engage the private sector South Dakota for a law enforcement agency, an appointment he to assist the Great Plains Tribes in their efforts to build their took on while completing his engineering degree. Vargas wants to strength and self-sufficiency. She is a national expert in Indian law help diversify law enforcement agencies through focusing on and economic development who seeks greater expertise to respond organizational behavior and culture by developing new methods to to dwindling federal assistance and limited grant opportunities for recruit and retain Native American police officers. Native nations. She also The Bush Fellowship is believes strong leadership distinctive in its flexibility, requires wisdom that the allowing each Fellow to Lakota language and values create a leadership provide. She will use her development plan that is Bush Fellowship to pursue tailored to their needs and corporate finance training, ambition. Fellows can use combining it with a focus the funding to pursue on traditional Lakota values advanced education, of leadership, language networking opportunities and self-sufficiency. and leadership resources, Tyler Read employs workshops and trainings. Heather Dawn Thompson Tyler Read Vaughn Vargas art as his tool to improve The foundation his community. He believes that art can help young people form received nearly 650 applications for the 2017 Bush Fellowship. their identities and be more engaged in the world around them. He Applicants described their leadership vision and how a Bush discovered this himself when he moved to Rapid City in 2004 with Fellowship would both help them achieve their goals and make no understanding of what “community” could mean. Through art, their community better. The 2017 Bush Fellows were selected he found success and belonging in his new home. Passionate about through a multi-stage process involving past Bush Fellows, Bush the role public art spaces can play in fostering equity, empathy and Foundation staff and community leaders from across the region. shared responsibility, Read will connect with leading public arts For more information, go to www.bushfoundation.org/fellows.
Remembering music master André Larson
Dr. André Pierre Larson, the founding director of The Shrine to Music Museum, now the National Music Museum, passed away recently. A musical standout who grew up in Brookings, Larson did his undergraduate studies at the University of South Dakota and received his Ph.D. in Musicology from West Virginia University at Morgantown. He returned to USD in 1972 as the Shrine to Music’s first leader, and conceptualized, articulated and implemented plans for the development of the museum. Elected to the South Dakota Hall of Fame for his contributions to the arts in South Dakota, Larson retired as the Director of the National Music Museum in 2011, following nearly four decades at the helm of one of our state’s premier attractions. A towering figure in the South Dakota arts world, Larson will be missed by friends and colleagues throughout the state.
André Larson photo by Aaron Packard.
Native artist Marty Cuny followed his passion
Marty Cuny, photo courtesy of Red Cloud Indian School.
National award-winning artist, writer and actor Marty Cuny, a graduate of the Red Cloud Indian School, recently joined his ancestors in the spirit world. Cuny traveled the country on a personal quest for knowledge, culture and stories. With awards from the Red Cloud Indian Art Show and pieces in collections coast to coast, including the Smithsonian Institution, Cuny used his art to share stories that might otherwise have been lost. Perhaps best known for the dolls and traditionally styled craftwork made over the past 45 years, Cuny considered his work contemporary, with traditional foundations. An enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, he learned the craft from watching and learning the techniques of beading from his grandparents. The inspiration for his work was drawn from dreams and the culture and history of the Lakota people. As a free spirit and an artisan of his culture’s history, Cuny has many friends and art lovers who are saddened by his passing.
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
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Arts South Dakota
PO Box 2496 Sioux Falls, SD 57101-2496
Help us keep South Dakota’s arts alive! Arts South Dakota works to advocate for the arts in our state—and there has never been a better time for stronger advocacy than NOW. We are connecting South Dakotans who want to maintain the National Endowment for the Arts funding to protect our state’s arts programming—and to keep the arts coming to our schools and communities. We are asking people like YOU to help us remind our Congressional delegation that the arts are vital to South Dakota’s future.
We invite you to join us in our efforts to keep the NEA— and South Dakota arts—strong and vibrant today and tomorrow. Your donation to Arts South Dakota will enable us to continue to advocate for the arts—and will keep Arts Alive coming directly to your mailbox. Please join Arts South Dakota today. Arts South Dakota is a fully operational 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and your gift is fully tax-deductible.
Give securely online at
www.ArtsSouthDakota.org to help grow the arts in our state.