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Nurturing the Hoop of Life is a Lakota-style hoop dance performed with 24 hoops by Dallas Chief Eagle Jr. M.A., C.G.P.S., Rosebud Sioux Tribal Member, World Hoop Dance Champion, Storyteller, Touring Artist and Co-Founder of All Nations Gathering Center.

His hoop dance and storytelling performance invites audiences young and old to experience the heart and soul of his life works.

Date: Thursday, August 29
Time: Starting at 5:30 p.m.
Location: Kid Zone, Downtown Main Street

Celebrate the last night of this summer series with a fun, colorful craft perfect for kids and kids at heart. Don’t miss out on this creative finale!

We can't wait to see your beautiful butterflies.

Date: Thursday, August 22
Time: Starting at 5:30 p.m.
Location: Kid Zone, Downtown Main Street

Let your imagination run wild and transform simple pool noodles into whimsical monsters. Perfect for kids and kids at heart!

Date: Thursday, August 15
Time: Starting at 5:30 p.m.
Location: Kid Zone, Downtown Main Street

Let your imagination run wild and transform simple pool noodles into whimsical monsters. Perfect for kids and kids at heart!

Bobcat Night at Downtown at Sundown! Join us for an exciting evening of creativity and fun at Bobcat Night during Downtown at Sundown! Get ready to make your very own animal scratch masks.

Date: Thursday, August 8
Time: Starting at 5:30 p.m.
Location: Kid Zone, Downtown Main Street

Unleash your wild side and decorate a mask of your favorite animal! Whether you're a fierce tiger, a playful monkey or a mysterious owl, we've got the perfect mask for you. Suitable for kids and kids at heart!

We can't wait to see your amazing creations.

It's time for another FREE Community Art Day! See you Saturday, August 3 (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) at the South Dakota Art Museum (1036 Medary Ave., Brookings) for a sustainable creative project! Join the South Dakota Art Museum and Brookings Arts Council in welcoming local artist and art teacher Shelby Meyer in making custom prints created with styrofoam!

All ages are welcome to attend and create.

• Open house style event - drop in any time between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• All supplies will be provided.
• Totally FREE!

Join us for a fun-filled evening at the kickoff of Downtown at Sundown! Get creative and decorate your very own paper fan this Thursday, August 1.

Date: Thursday, August 1
Time: Starting at 5:30 p.m.
Location: Kid Zone, Downtown on Main Street

Beat the heat with a cool, custom fan made by you! Our craft station is perfect for kids and kids at heart, so bring the whole family and unleash your creativity.

Come early, make a fan and stay cool all evening! We can't wait to see you there.

Final concert of the 2024 Anderson Plaza Summer Performance series. Gene McGowan and Friends play JAZZ music from the American Song Book. If you like straight ahead JAZZ of the great standards, you will love this.

These performances are made possible through support provided by Lynn A. and Diane Engh Anderson and generous donors like you. Thank you!

• July 30, 6-7:30 p.m. | Anderson Plaza Summer Performance Series - Gene McGowan and Friends
• Aug. 1, 5:30-8:45 p.m. | Downtown at Sundown

The Prairie Groove Band is four versatile musicians with a depth of experience which includes, symphonic, combo and academic. They do this because we love playing and performing it. From jazz to blues and pop you'll hear an entertaining variety.

Gordon describes his style as music that makes you want to dance and live a life that you love living!

3D Structures Drawing Workshop with Dick Termes at 4 p.m. Explore the fascinating art of Termespheres and learn how to create stunning 3D drawings with the master himself, Dick Termes!

Back by popular demand! Alma Andina combines traditional instruments from South America with Latin rhythms such as Cumbia, Salsa, Folk, Guajira, Latin Rock, Reggae and other danceable styles. They have been playing music in the Twin Cities for more than 7 years, always evolving in their instrumentation, line up, and sound in general. With a diverse line up of members from Chile, Mexico and the USA, Alma Andina brings a mix of musical flavors with traditional dances and invites the community to feel unified and represented by the beautiful and always evolving diversity.

Celebrate "Primordial Shift: The Art of Michael Meilahn" with renowned glass artist and farmer, Michael "Mick" Meilahn. Explore this immersive exhibition featuring Meilahn's huge blown glass ears of corn. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to engage with the artist, gain insight into his creative process and explore the intricate interplay of science, agriculture and art.

• 5-6 p.m.: Gallery reception with Michael Meilahn. Museum Members receive complimentary beverages.
• 6-7 p.m.: Talk with Michael Meilahn and David Clay, South Dakota Corn Chair/Distinguished Professor, South Dakota State University Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science

Free and open to the public.

The monumental title installation features 32 hand-blown glass ears of corn, each around four to six feet tall, which are suspended from the Museum’s ceiling on cast bronze and blown glass stalks. The ears of corn and are illuminated by a video and audio projection of the artist’s family farm.

An artist and farmer, Meilahn learned glassmaking as a university student in Wisconsin in the 1970s and subsequently participated in the wave that became the American Studio Glass Movement. Through his work, Meilahn crafts a visual dialogue about the genetic modification of corn that invites reflection on humanity's evolving relationship with nature and the intricate interplay of science, agriculture and art.

Thank you to these generous sponsors who make this exhibition and corresponding programs possible:

South Dakota State University College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science

Bill and Rita Larson Endowment for Education Excellence, Fantle Endowment

Alan Baker and Joan Hegerfeld-Baker, Marcia and David Chicoine, Gail and Larry Tidemann

As a unit of South Dakota State University, South Dakota Art Museum receives significant operational support from the university. Additional support is provided by the South Dakota Arts Council (with funds from the State of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts) and museum members and donors.

Based out of the Black Hills of South Dakota, Humbletown is a powerful multi-genre bluegrass-inspired duo featuring intricate vocal harmonies, flatpick guitar and clawhammer banjo.

The Curious Music Collective invites you to experience American storytelling through poetry, music, and dance, with “A Journey to Juneteenth: How did we get here? Where do we go from here?"

It’s time for another FREE community art day! Join the South Dakota Art Museum and the Brookings Arts Council in welcoming local Art Instructor Erik Ritter. This time we’ll be creating mini treasure chests from found objects.

• All ages are welcome to attend and create.
• Open house style event--drop in any time between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m!
• All supplies will be provided.
• Totally FREE!

South Dakota’s own 147th Army Band is comprised of talented musicians from nine different states that. In addition to playing as a traditional concert band, the musicians form unique and diverse music performance teams, including today’s performers, Mission Essential Brass. Mission Essential Brass plays a wide variety of styles ranging from ceremonial brass to modern day hits and everything in between. on Facebook.

In or out? Explore works considered for our permanent collection exhibition, "The Prairie is My Garden" that didn’t make the cut. Grab your morning coffee for a fascinating livestream discussion with Taylor McKeown, Exhibitions and Collections Curator and Abigail Ramsbottom, Education Curator! Learn about the process for selecting works for an exhibition and see some of the well loved works that didn’t make the cut (this time!).

The title of Harvey Dunn’s quintessential prairie painting, "The Prairie is My Garden," serves as a springboard for this exhibition which considers the human connection to the land that we now know as South Dakota. Explore works by Oscar Howe, Charles Greener, Paul Goble, Ela Irving, Bernice Talbot, Olive Cottier, Tom Thorson, Duane Schat, Jhon Goes In Center, and others, as well as Harvey Dunn. "The Prairie is My Garden" is on view at the South Dakota Art Museum May 25 - September 15, 2024.

Celebrating the educational exhibition, "Navigating Narratives: The Corps of Discovery in Titonwan Territory" from the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies (CAIRNS), curated by Craig Howe.

5-6 p.m. | Free Reception | South Dakota Art Museum galleries.
6-7 p.m. | Poetry reading hosted by exhibition curator Craig Howe | Anderson Plaza behind the Museum.

This exhibition examines the interactions between the boatmen of the Corps of Discovery Expedition and the Titonwanian people through first-person accounts from Sept. 23 to Sept. 30, 1804, as documented in the daily journals by Corps members William Clark, Patrick Gass, John Ordway and Joseph Whitehouse. CAIRNS has invited contemporary visual artists, poets and musicians to create works related to one or more of the journal entries. Seventy creatives created songs, artworks and poems for this exhibit. Though all of them are citizens of the United States of American, 30 are also citizens of American Indian tribes.

This event is free and open to the public. All are welcome!

"Navigating Narratives: The Corps of Discovery in Titonwan Territory" is on view at the South Dakota Art Museum May 4 - September 1, 2024.

South Dakota Art Museum Guild gathering featuring Patricia Duncan, in a talk, "ART IS Plein Air Painter Pursuing Her Passion to Heal."

This is the eighth and final program in the 2023-24 Guild series, "ART IS..."

9:30 a.m. - Coffee and social time

10 a.m. - Patricia Duncan | ART IS Plein Air Painter Pursuing Her Passion to Heal

Patricia Duncan

Patricia Duncan is a representational pastel and oil painter. Growing up on the prairies of South Dakota, her interest for drawing and painting was sparked from a very early age. Currently living part time in the beautiful St. Croix Valley of Northwest Wisconsin and surrounded by lakes and Wisconsin farmland, this place continues to nurture her love for the outdoors and is a continual source of inspiration.

With the opportunity to live abroad in London, England and her extensive travel to various parts of the world, these opportunities have provided many subjects to draw from for inspiration. She is particularly drawn to cultural diversity when picking her subject matter. Patricia prefers painting natural landscapes, people, animals, architecture, and still life.

With Patricia’s interest in art since childhood, to further her education in the arts, she pursued a fine arts degree at the University of Utah in the performing art division of ballet. Through these experiences, her passion and desire to continue to develop her artistic endeavors grew stronger. After raising five children, her life long dream is being realized to pursue her art. She has participated in classes and workshops taught by nationally and internationally recognized and known artists. Patricia continues to train extensively under Plein Aire Painters of America signature artist, Joseph Paquet. Her desire to refine her drawing and painting skills is evident to her commitment to artistic growth.

Guild membership is encouraged but not required to attend monthly programs. Dues of $20 per year support Guild programs and contribute to the museum’s Art Acquisitions Fund.

The South Dakota Art Museum’s Art Guild series continues with “Art Is…Your Passport to Creativity” featuring Watertown artist Jennifer Stone.

An award-winning artist, Jennifer Stone has been painting for over 25 years. Her expressions are primarily water media, and feature unconventional methods to enhance design, color, and texture. The art she creates is typically abstracted, or non-representational, and reflects her own interpretation of our world. Stone says, “To this day, I am still humbled when I am made aware my painting has touched the soul of another person, or brought them pleasure. This inspires me and gives me hope that I can continue to leave an impression with some of the images I have created.” Creating art for Jennifer Stone is as natural and necessary to her as breathing. Primarily self-taught, Stone dedicates the majority of her time to painting in her studio. “My studio is located next door to our home, on an acreage surrounded by trees, wildlife and serenity. This keeps my mind free of any of life’s busyness and gives me the opportunity to focus with an open and clear mind.”

Mixed media is Stone’s preferred medium at this time. Her curiosity in creating her own handmade collage papers has launched a new workshop that she teaches and has been well-received by other mixed media enthusiasts. 

Stone’s singular style has earned her numerous awards and countless admirers. Her accolades include both state and national titles, with her work displayed in private and corporate collections internationally. Stone has studied with a variety of artists, including Cheng Khee Chee, Gerald Brommer, Robert Burridge, Zoltan Zsabo, Anne Bagby, Mark Mehaffey, Andy Evansen, Karen Knutson, Janet Rogers, and many more. This assisted her on her journey to find her voice. While the influence of each of these learning experiences can be found in her art, Stone’s own voice speaks clearly in her work. She attributes this to the dedication she puts forth in working at her craft. Her artwork may be viewed at . Guild membership is encouraged but not required to attend monthly programs. Dues of $20 per year support Guild programs and contribute to the museum’s Art Acquisitions Fund.

"Moments of Is: Stuart Artists-in-Residence Alums"

Join us for this Virtual Artist Chat with some of the innovative contemporary artists who participated in the Stuart Artist-In-Residence at South Dakota State University:

• Jessica Campbell, Toronto
• Lori Larusso, Louisville, Kentucky
• Tanner Lind, Portland, Oregon
• Izel Vargas, Delray Beach, Florida

Explore their unique perspectives and techniques behind their works of art. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, aspiring artist, or simply curious about the creative process, this is an event you will enjoy! The exhibition, "Moments of Is: Stuart Artists-in-Residence Alums" is on view at the South Dakota Art Museum, February 17 - May 12, 2024.

Learn more about the "Termespheres: The Art of Dick Termes" exhibition.

Join us at the South Dakota Art Museum (1036 Medary Avenue) for a film screening and panel talk with the artists on March 5th! We'll have light refreshments and the screening will begin at 5pm, followed by a Q&A with the featured artists.

Discover "Elevate," a captivating short film that follows the journey of four BIPOC artists and creatives as they engage their communities through expressive works rooted in culture, heritage, and locality. Witness how their art amplifies their voices and creates a platform for visibility, unity, and artistic expression, breathing life into neighborhoods and cultures that deserve recognition.

This program has been organized by ������Ƶ's American Indian Student Center and is co-sponsored by American and Global Studies, the South Dakota Art Museum, First Bank and Trust, ������Ƶ School of Communication and Journalism, and ������Ƶ Office of Multicultural Affairs and Accessibility.

Join us for an exciting Virtual Artist Chat with some of the innovative contemporary artists who participated in the Stuart Artist-In-Residence at ������Ƶ! We will explore their unique perspectives and techniques behind their works of art. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, aspiring artist, or simply curious about the creative process, this is an event you will enjoy! Save the date and we hope to see you there!

Join us for a Coffee With Collections discussion of sculptural selections from the SDAM Collections with artist and ������Ƶ studio arts instructor, Erik Ritter together with South Dakota Art Museum Exhibitions and Collections Curator, Taylor McKeown and Education Curator, Abigail Ramsbottom. Explore works influenced by the Fluxus movement as Erik creates a new work!

Get ready to get creative with us during this winter ’art break’! Join the South Dakota Art Museum and the Brookings Arts Council in welcoming Sioux Falls artist, Hannah Grapevine, for our next Free Community Art Day!

This time we’ll be painting winter ornaments with Hannah Grapevine’s guidance.

• All ages are welcome to attend and create (children must be accompanied by an adult).
• Open house style event--drop in any time between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• All supplies will be provided.
• Totally FREE!

Free museum admission and free parking on Harvey Dunn Street – on the street and in the university parking lots (no permits needed).

Halloween Coffee with Collections discussion about spooky works in the South Dakota Art Museum Collection with South Dakota Art Museum Exhibitions and Collections Curator, Taylor McKeown and Education Curator, Abigail Ramsbottom.

Join us for a South Dakota Art Museum Guild gathering featuring Madeleine Scott, South Dakota Ballet Founder, Executive Director, and Artistic Director in a talk entitled, "ART IS the Universal Language of Dance.

About Madeleine Scott: 
Madeleine Scott, originally from Beresford, South Dakota, is the founder and artistic director of South Dakota Ballet. She began ballet at Dance Gallery of South Dakota. At age 13 she moved to Philadelphia, PA to train at the Rock School for Dance Education. Madeleine competed in Youth America Grand Prix (the world’s largest scholarship ballet competition) where she was invited to compete in New York City Finals each time she has competed. Madeleine’s professional dance training also includes the School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Chautauqua Dance Festival, Ballet West Academy Trainee Program, Ellison Ballet, Jose Carreno Dance Festival, Cecchetti Council of America Summer School and many more. Madeleine trained privately in New York City with Elena Kunikova throughout her career.

She is a profoundly driven young woman with a vision to bring ballet to all 50 states. Madeleine began planning for South Dakota Ballet amidst her senior year at the University of Utah where she earned her degree in ballet. She also studied nonprofits and community engagement. She has gained unique insight while performing professionally with companies such as Ballet West, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, L.E.D. Boise (“Dance Magazine” 2019 Top 25 To Watch) and Sacramento Ballet.

She looks forward to sharing ballet and its culture with the residents of South Dakota. While she may be starting from scratch, Madeleine sees this as an advantage. She sees South Dakota Ballet as a clean slate with the opportunity to implement the best ingredients of traditional ballet culture through a modern lens. Madeleine strives to design a company that will become an example to others across the country, leading the future of ballet to a more inclusive culture and broadened vision for sustainable community impact. Madeleine is currently a professional dancer with Dance Aspen.

Guild membership is encouraged but not required to attend monthly programs. Dues of $20 per year support Guild programs and contribute to the museum’s Art Acquisitions Fund.

Stop by the South Dakota Art Museum and the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum to enjoy a FREE Fall Family Festival! Each museum will have activities and kids of all ages are welcome to put on their costumes for early trick-or-treating for candy at both sites. Art activities, kids movies, games and more.

• South Dakota Art Museum: 1036 Medary Ave., Brookings.
• South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum: 977 11th St., Brookings.

Park at either museum and walk (it's a 2-block walk down Medary Ave.).

Join us for Lanniko Lee sharing with the South Dakota Art Museum Guild, "ART IS Becoming a Good Ancestor.” This is the first Guild program in the 2023-24 season, with the theme "ART IS...".

In follow-up to the recent conclusion of "Dakota Modern: the Art of Oscar Howe" exhibition, Lanniko Lee, a tribally-enrolled Miniconjou citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, poet and writer, will give a talk titled, “Art is … Becoming a Good Ancestor” to expand on the role that tribal artists play in society.

Lee is a charter member of the Oak Lake Writers Society, now Oceti Sakowin Society Writers, to model and encourage Native authors. Her poetry and essays have appeared in several publications. She participated in an early U.S. Department of Education “Upward Bound” program to encourage high school students with limited access to attend college. Oscar Howe was one of the USD professors at the time who inspired Lee to pursue higher education. She went on to earn a B.A. from Arcadia University in Pennsylvania and an M.A. from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English in Vermont. Once she completed her schooling, she taught art, literature and composition to high school and college students. Lee has also engaged in entrepreneurial ventures from her home near Lake Oahe in north central South Dakota. She lives there with her husband on a small acreage with a flock of sheep, a cat and a plethora of wild birds that feed her respect for her role in the continuum of life. Lee is also on the advisory board of the South Dakota Art Museum.

Coffee and social time at 9:30 a.m., program at 10 a.m. All are welcome.

Guild membership is encouraged but not required to attend monthly programs. Dues of $20 per year support Guild programs and contribute to the museum’s Art Acquisitions Fund.

������Ƶ students are invited to enjoy FREE food and have fun while exploring cultural establishments on campus during the third annual Jacks Culture Crawl!

Participating locations include the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum, the South Dakota Art Museum, the American Indian Student Center, McCrory Gardens and the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. Each location will have selfie stations, activities, and free food. You can start at any location you’d like, and those who turn in their selfies will be entered in a prize drawing.

PLEASE NOTE that this event will be taking place at all four sites during this time:

• South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum (977 11th St.)
• South Dakota Art Museum (1036 Medary Ave.)
• The American Indian Student Center (920 Campanile Ave.)
• McCrory Gardens (631 22nd Ave.)
• Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center (1601 University Blvd.)

Free concert with ISANTI on Anderson Plaza behind the South Dakota Art Museum at ������Ƶ (1036 Medary Ave., Brookings):

Bring your lawn chair and blanket and enjoy Native American rock n roll with ISANTI from Sioux Falls and Flandreau.

We’ll have yard games and plenty of space for fun on the College Green while you enjoy the performance.

Free parking is available in the parking lots south and west of the museum, no need for permits or passes after 4 p.m.

Rain? No problem! We’ll move to the Auditorium inside the South Dakota Art Museum.

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THANK YOU to everyone who donated to the South Dakota Art Museum during One Day for STATE – many for the first time! You helped us unlock both of the $10,000 challenge gifts from Venance and Deborah Lengkeek and Lynn & Diane Anderson and added $13,355 to their generous gifts in support of the Museum's exhibitions, education and outreach programs. With your gift to the Museum YOU inspired creativity, connected people, and enriched lives through art, and we're grateful for each of you! Final results: 81 donors: $33,355.

Yellow and Blue Block Party kids art activity: Jacks Maracas!

In conjunction with the exhibition of "Continuum: Honoring Oscar Howe's Legacy," we invite you to hear from artists who studied under Oscar Howe's students, thus showing the continual ripple effect that Oscar Howe's life and work produced. This panel featured Virginia Poorman and Evans Flammond, Sr. (students of Bryan Akipa), and Jhon Goes in Center (student of Herman Red Elk). Linus Woods (student of Colleen Cutschall) was scheduled to speak but was unable to attend.

"Continuum: Honoring Oscar Howe's Legacy" is on view at the South Dakota Art Museum in Brookings June 10 - Aug. 17, 2023. For more information, visit South Dakota Art Museum.

Grab your morning coffee for a fascinating livestream discussion about Native American works in the South Dakota Art Museum Collection with Christina Burke, and South Dakota Art Museum Exhibitions and Collections Curator, Taylor McKeown and Education Curator, Abigail Ramsbottom!

Christina Burke is a museum curator who focuses on Native American artistic traditions and their contemporary expressions. For more than 30 years she has worked at institutions from the Smithsonian in Washington, DC to Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota on various collaborative projects with Indigenous people from developing Native language curriculum materials to museum collections research and exhibition development.

Join us for a FREE Community Art Day to make super fun pinch pot monsters! This is a drop in event, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., and will be fun for all ages. Everyone is welcome.

Co-hosted with the Brookings Arts Council.

Join us on Anderson Plaza, behind the South Dakota Art Museum (1036 Medary Ave.), for free performances on Tuesday evenings (6-7:30 p.m.) in June and July. Bring your own picnic, chair and blanket. We’ll have snacks and drinks for purchase, yard games and plenty of space for fun on the Campus Green while you enjoy the performance.

• June 13 | Jim Groth | Folk music with a 3-time South Dakota Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
• June 20 | Afterwall | Solo folk music and Jon Bakken's Hot Pockets | Free jam jazz.
• June 27 | ISANTI | Native American rock n roll from Sioux Falls.
• July 11 |  | Timeless music with folk and blues roots.
• July 18 |  | Traditional instruments from South America with Latin rhythms such as Cumbia, Salsa, Folk, Guajira, Latin Rock, Reggae and other danceable styles.
• July 25 |  | Original jazz music and standards throughout the Jazz Age.

Explore the South Dakota Art Museum Store and exhibitions, including "Dakota Modern: The Art of Oscar Howe" on Anderson Plaza concert Tuesdays - OPEN until 7:30 p.m.

"Dakota Modern" Opening Day Celebration news release

Artists: Bridget Beck, Bonnie Halsey-Dutton, Dennis Linn and Allen Morris

Artists: Amanda Boerger, Carol Geu, Susan Heggestad and Mark Stemwedel

Artists: Amanda Boerger, Carol Geu, Susan Heggestad and Mark Stemwedel

Artists: Skott Chandler, Tom Dempster, Molly Fulton and James Pollock

Conversations with artists in the "10th Biennial South Dakota Governor's Art Exhibition."

Artists: Sharon Gray, Chris Meyer, Erik Ritter and Lindsay Twa

Celebrating the creativiTEA our Guild, Advisory Board and volunteers inspire!

In or out? Explore works considered for our current figurative works exhibition, "Pose | Repose" that didn’t make the cut. Grab your morning coffee for a fascinating livestream discussion with Taylor McKeown, Exhibitions and Collections Curator and Abigail Ramsbottom, Education Curator! Learn about the process for selecting works for an exhibition and see some of the well loved works that didn’t make the cut (this time!).

Join us in person or via Zoom for the February Guild program featuring: Don Burger, Jr., associate professor of landscape architecture at South Dakota State University. Enjoy coffee at 9:30 a.m. and Don’s talk at 10 a.m.

"La Dolce Vita" (Italian for “the good life”) encapsulates a Mediterranean lifestyle that has evolved in Italy since the time of Ancient Rome. Interrupted and modified over the centuries by invading peoples and cultures, we see it today as a combination of quintessential climate, food, and leisure activities unique to the Italian peninsula but envied across the globe. This presentation takes participants on a journey through some of the places that the ruling class in Italy created as expressions of La Dolce Vita for themselves and their posterity.

Don Burger, Jr. is associate professor of landscape architecture at South Dakota State University. His interest in La Dolce Vita began as a young man living in northern Italy. He now shares his passion for all things Italian by leading travel study excursions there. Professor Burger’s research focuses on the connections between human health and the built environment, for which Italy is a useful case study.

Guild membership is encouraged but not required to attend monthly programs. Dues of $20 per year support Guild programs and contribute to the museum’s Art Acquisitions Fund.

Register for an illustrative copyist drawing workshop with Chuck Bennis: Feb. 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m., in the "Pose | Repose" exhibition, which is rich in figures with unique faces and poses. Practice your illustration and copyist drawing skills in the museum gallery with the guidance of artist Chuck Bennis.

Chuck Bennis is an artist who specializes in digital illustration, murals and caricatures. His work is featured all around Brookings and beyond. Chuck will provide insight on approaches to caricature, and you are welcome to practice drawing digitally or physically.

Open to all individuals ages 14 and up, but space is limited. All drawing and work materials provided. All drawing and work materials provided! If you are a digital drawer, BYO materials.

Registration fee: $20 + tax

Cozy up to art. Find your favorites. Join in the artwork scavenger hunt. Get your Frost Fest Button Blizzard lanyard and SDAM button. Free. Everyone is welcome!

Join us to celebrate the opening of the 10th Biennial South Dakota Governor’s Art Exhibition at the South Dakota Art Museum. This reception is open to the public. Appetizers and beverages will be served; Museum Members receive complimentary wine, beer and sodas. 

This exhibition shares some of South Dakota’s best artworks and greatest artists at four exhibiting institutions across the state through the course of the one-year traveling show. This juried exhibition is the premier showcase for artists currently living in the state and is a celebration of the tremendous quality and unique diversity of visual art being produced here and now. The biennial exhibitions are important landmarks in South Dakota art history. The exhibition shares some of South Dakota’s best artworks with visiting audiences at multiple exhibiting institutions across the state through the course of the one-year traveling show. The catalog is an important historical record of the state’s current artists and art practices for future generations. 

The 10th Biennial begins at the South Dakota Art Museum (Feb. 11—May 14, 2023) before traveling to the John A. Day Gallery at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion (June 19—Aug. 4, 2023), the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls (Aug 25—Nov 12, 2023), and the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City (Dec. 8, 2023—March 30, 2024).

Learn More

Brookings, SD artist Eileen Binkley shares her life and artwork in this South Dakota Art Museum Guild program. Binkley’s watercolor paintings are inspired from her childhood growing up on a farm, surrounded by her grandmother’s incredible flower gardens. Peonies, poppies, marigolds and hollyhocks “bloom” in her watercolors. Her botanical paintings convey the fantasy world she created in her imagination as a child. Binkley describes her purpose in art “to conjure joy.” Binkley, a graduate of South Dakota State University in Fine Arts and Painting and Art Education, taught for a number of years in the Brookings School System. A year ago, she transitioned from full-time teacher to full-time artist and stay at home mother. She teaches various community art classes, commissions paintings and makes her art available through on-line sales and regional art festivals.

Dr. Lindsay Twa is Professor of Art and Chair of the Humanities Division at Augustana University, where she teaches a wide range of art history courses and leads study away to India, England, and New York City. She is also the Director of the Eide/Dalyrmple Gallery at Augustana. In this talk for the South Dakota Art Museum Guild, Dr. Lindsay Twa shares her mindset as a practicing printmaker and creator of “A Garden Conversation" and how this work also informs her curatorial practice as she works with contemporary artists to bring their artwork to the South Dakota community through exhibitions at Augustana University’s Eide/Dalrymple Gallery.

South Dakota photographer, Jason Pfitzer, shares his work in a talk for the South Dakota Art Museum Guild.

Rina Yoon, Carolyn G. Halliday and Marjorie Fedyszyn discuss works of the seven artists in "When Trees Dream," curated by Rina Yoon and John Schuerman. This exhibition is on view at the South Dakota Art Museum in Brookings, SD through Jan. 21, 2023. Artists whose works are on display in "When Trees Dream":

• Bob Erickson
• Marjorie Fedyszyn
• Kevin Giese
• Carolyn G. Halliday
• Mary Hood
• John Schuerman
• Rina Yoon.

Learn more about this exhibition

Fall Family Festival - fantastic fun! Thanks to the 183 kids and adults who joined us and bravo to our FAB FOUR Guild volunteers who helped make this a fabulous event together with the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum.

Meet Abigail Ramsbottom, the museum's new Curator of Education. Learn about Abigail's background and her vision for this important position in "Newcomer to the Prairie."

2nd annual Jacks Culture Crawl with food and fun at South Dakota Art Museum, South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum, McCrory Gardens and The Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.

Enjoy your morning coffee or favorite beverage any time for Coffee with Collections. This chat features South Dakota State University President Barry Dunn with South Dakota Art Museum curators Taylor McKeown and Abigail Ramsbottom discussing some of President Dunn's favorite works in the museum's collection. Learn more about the Harvey Dunn, Oscar Howe and Donald Montileaux works President Dunn selected for this chat. Learn more about the South Dakota Art Museum's permanent collection.

Kids art activity.

Kids art activity!

14th Annual gathering of artist celebrating plein air painting on the prairie of Harvey Dunn's youth.

Paint Out participants enjoyed copyist painting in the Harvey Dunn Gallery, followed by a reception.

Kids art activity!

Kids art activity!

Kids art activity!

Kids art activity!

Downtown at Sundown July 26, 6-7:30 p.m. | Anderson Plaza Summer Performance Series: JAS Quintet, jazz

Unwind with Lakota artists Athena LaTocha, Iris Sully and Alfreda Beartrack Algeo chatting about their artistic journeys and artworks including pieces in "The Gift" exhibition from the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies. Learn what inspires them, what they’re working on now and maybe discover a surprise or two. Explore "The Gift" exhibition on view at the South Dakota Art Museum through July 31, 2022.

Unwind with Lakota artists Angela Babby, Renelle White Buffalo and Andrea Lekberg chatting about their artistic journeys and artworks including pieces in "The Gift" exhibition from the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies. Learn what inspires them, what they’re working on now and maybe discover a surprise or two. Explore "The Gift" exhibition on view at the South Dakota Art Museum through July 31, 2022.

Unwind with Lakota artists Keith BraveHeart, Roger Broer, Jhon Goes In Center and Dwayne Wilcox chatting about their artistic journeys and artworks including pieces in "The Gift" exhibition from the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies. Learn what inspires them, what they’re working on now and maybe discover a surprise or two. Explore "The Gift" exhibition on view at the South Dakota Art Museum through July 31, 2022.

75 people of all ages joined us for a watercolor painting workshop with Eileen Binkley, each creating their own painting based on Eileen's guidance. This is the 2nd free Community Art Day, co-sponsored with the Brookings Arts Council.

Gerald Cournoyer is an artist and educator and an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He followed in the footsteps of prominent Dakota painter Oscar Howe to the University of Oklahoma to pursue and eventually achieve his Masters of Fine Arts in painting. He previously attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM where he received an Associate Degree in Fine Arts in painting. He received his BFA and Master’s Degree from the University of South Dakota in interdisciplinary studies. After receiving his MFA from the University of Oklahoma, he was employed as a professor of painting. Cournoyer also holds a Master’s of Arts in Arts Management utilizing his expertise in networking and developing relationships among artists and the funding agencies who support artist philanthropy. He recently returned to school to earn another Master’s degree in Philanthropy and Fundraising from Central Michigan University.

Cournoyer came from a skilled background of stylized ledger art and figurative Indian portraits. Over time, his work expanded into vibrant abstract watercolors and acrylics. This eventually led him into patterns of Lakota quillwork, and rawhide parfleche, beadwork on canvas, including large nonfigurative expanses of color and form that offer the viewer an opportunity to explore the depth of scintillating color combined with Native patterns. These intricate patterns are based on the early geometric patterns of the Northern Plans quill designs and are prominent in the Lakota iconography. Gerald Cournoyer states: “As an artist, I strive to bridge the gap between traditional Lakota art and contemporary movements by incorporating traditional symbols in a contemporary fashion.” His work is shown in regional, national and international venues.

Ginny Freitag is an artist and teacher living in Madison, South Dakota. She primarily works in mixed media ceramic, sculpting the female figure and its relationships with nature and ritual. She also incorporates found objects into her works. Some of them she discovers while hiking in the outdoors, and others while wandering through flea markets. Ginny tries to create a narrative in her work that the viewer can translate into their own experience.

She graduated from Dakota State University in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree and a major in art. She retired from teaching art in the Madison Central School District in 2018, and currently creates her art from a studio in her home. Ginny received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1996, and an artist project grant from the South Dakota Arts Council in 2012. She has been in one- and two-person shows at the Oscar Howe Art Gallery at The University of South Dakota, the South Dakota Art Museum, the Firehouse Gallery, the Eastbank Art Gallery, and the Karl Mundt Library, as well as many group-shows. Ginny is also a founding member of Journey Women, a group of female artists who have had three exhibitions at the Washington Pavilion. Ginny has taken numerous graduate classes, also spending time in Grand Marais each summer in a mentored workshop with noted artist and women activist Hazel Belvo. Ginny lists artists Connie Herring and Hazel Belvo as the major influences in the development of her work.

Grab your morning coffee with a fun livestream look at artwork from the South Dakota Art Museum Collection with Dr. Craig Howe, Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies (CAIRNS) Director, and SDAM Collections Curator, Taylor McKeown.

No replay is available.

"The Gift", is based on a traditional Lakotan narrative about when White Buffalo Woman, an emissary from the Pte Oyate (Buffalo Nation), gave a sacred pipe to the Itazipco Oyate, one of seven oyates of the Lakota division of the Oceti Sakowin Confederacy. In the Standing Rock Reservation in 1911, Lone Man shared a narrative, “The White Buffalo Calf Pipe (Ptehin’cala Canonpa),” about the gift, with Frances Densmore who published it in 1918. It is a wondrous account of that event. 

The exhibitions features visual artworks, music and poetry by contemporary Lakota artists, musicians and poets. For more information, visit /south-dakota-art-museum/exhibit/gift.

20% off all books throughout the store (30% for Members and ������Ƶ students). Shop our huge selection of books for readers of all types: history buffs, art buffs, children, foodies, best seller lovers, coffee table book aficionados. This is a great time to stock up for graduation gifts, and spring and summer reading!

Over 100 people joined us for Free Community Art Day, co-hosted with the Brookings Arts Council and led by clay artist, Rachel Funk. Rachel provided step-by-step instructions for creating a clay gnome...and we provided the materials. Participants made clay gnomes at the museum or took everything home to make later. This was geared for kids and adults of all abilities with simple instructions that can be augmented for more complex creations. 

Garrett McQueen will give a free public talk on March 22 at 7 p.m. at the South Dakota Art Museum: Agitato: Framing Social Change Through Arts Activism.

Garrett McQueen is a bassoonist who has performed with numerous symphonies across the nation. His musical career has also included solo recitals and chamber music performances across the country, master classes, guest instruction, and adjudication.

Giving voice and offering space to music by Black and other marginalized composers drives his passion for the art form, and continues to be his primary interest as a performer.

In addition to remaining active in performance spaces, Garrett is the host and producer behind a number of nationally-syndicated radio programs, including "The Sound of 13" and "The Sounds of Kwanzaa", and continues to work as a guest radio host in a number of American markets. Away from the airwaves, Garrett specializes in music and racial equity presentations, with previous collaborators including the Gateways Music Festival, the Sphinx Organization, the Kennedy Center, the Apollo Theater, the San Francisco Symphony, and countless schools, colleges, and universities.

In addition to working as a performer, the Executive Producer and co-host of the TRILLOQUY podcast and President of TrillWerks Media, Garrett works as an equity consultant, guest speaker, curator, and presenter at the intersections of race, contemporary culture, and "classical" music. He serves on the board of the American Composers Forum as the Equity Committee Chair, and maintains leadership/advisory positions with the Black Opera Alliance, the Gateways Music Festival, and the Lakes Area Music Festival.

For more information about .

This talk is co-sponsored by the Brookings Arts Council and the South Dakota Art Museum. Please contact the Brookings Arts Council for questions at 605-692-4177 or directorbac@swiftel.net. No tickets are needed to attend.

Thomas Fluharty’s work has been featured on covers for Mad magazine, Der Spiegel, and Time Magazine, who gave the cover to the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection. His work is notably featured for The Weekly Standard, for whom he has painted over 100 covers. Other clients have included People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated, The Village Voice, Coca-Cola, and The New York Times and Disney.

Fluharty’s work has received national recognition from the Society of Illustrators in New York and Los Angeles and Communication Arts Illustration annuals. He won a gold medal from Spectrum Fantastic Art for his depiction of Hillary Clinton, and a bronze medal for the cover painting of Max Lucado’s book, The Boy and the Ocean for 3x3  Magazine of Contemporary Illustration under his children’s book alias T. Lively Fluharty.

His work is also in the personal collections of Astronaut and Senator John Glenn, Pat Boone, Naomi Judd, the late movie director Robert Altman.

Fluharty loves working with students all over the world teaching online with Schoolism.com where he teaches drawing and painting.

He is happily married to the love of his life Kristi, has five amazing daughters, and one cute little cavalier spaniel named Biddy.

Grab a bag and grab great savings! $20 for everything you can fit in the bag from a selection of books, beads, fabric and international items! Members and ������Ƶ students get an additional 10% off (that’s $18 for you math challenged folks).

Grab your morning coffee with a fun livestream look at artwork from the South Dakota Art Museum Collection, featuring Collections Curator, Taylor McKeown, discussing recent acquisitions to the South Dakota Art Museum permanent collection. 

This is the first in the new South Dakota Art Museum virtual series: Coffee with Collections. These virtual discussions will showcase favorite objects from the museum’s permanent collection presented by a curator, art professional, or other special guest. These events will feature a mix of works currently on view or from the collection vaults, so be sure to tune in.

During the program be sure to enjoy a cup of Kool Beans Coffee, available for sale in the South Dakota Art Museum Store.

Join us to meet Willem and Diane Volkersz and celebrate the exhibition, "Willem Volkersz: The View from Here | A 25 Year Retrospective."

4:30-6 p.m. Reception in the gallery. Enjoy appetizers and beverages. Museum members receive complimentary wine and beer.

6-7 p.m.| Artist talk: Willem Volkersz | In the auditorium AND livestreamed via Zoom

Feb. 18-20 is Brookings Frost Fest, a weekend full of fun winter activities for all ages at locations throughout Brookings. 

On Saturday, Feb. 19 from noon–4 p.m., join the South Dakota Art Museum downtown, indoors in the former Antique Mall space (324 Main Avenue), for wintery art-making activities as part of Winterlude, hosted by Brookings Arts Council and Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Visit Brookings’ Frost Fest.

Winterlude will feature an art market with local artists and art-making activities for all ages, outdoor retail shopping, signature drinks at various downtown businesses, a $5 movie with a food item donation at Cinema 8, and more! The South Dakota Art Museum will provide a fun Winter Scene "Museum to Go!" art making kit you can grab and go.

The South Dakota Art Museum Guild invites you to join us via Zoom for the fifth program of the 2021-2022 Guild Program Series - open to the public and Guild members - featuring Pat Crawford, director of the South Dakota State University School of Design. 

Feb. 12, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Stop by the South Dakota Art Museum and the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum to enjoy a FREE Family Day! Each museum will have Valentine’s themed Take & Make art activities. Make them in the museum or take them home to enjoy later. Thanks to the South Dakota Art Museum Guild for hosting this fun event!

• South Dakota Art Museum: 1036 Medary Ave., Brookings
• South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum: 977 11th St., Brookings

Park at either museum and walk (it’s a 2-block walk down Medary Avenue).

The South Dakota Art Museum Guild invites you to join us via Zoom for the fourth program of the 2021-2022 Guild Program Series - open to the public and Guild members - featuring Allyson Sheumaker, Executive Director of the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art in Trinidad, Colorado. Harvey Dunn and A.R. Mitchell were long-time friends. Allyson will talk about their relationship and the Dunn artworks in the A.R. Mitchell Museum's collection.