South Dakota Arts Council Staff and Board

Established in 1966 and funded by the State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, the South Dakota Arts Council (SDAC) is a state agency serving South Dakotans and their communities through the arts. Recognizing the importance of creativity in the lives of all South Dakotans, the Council makes quality arts accessible throughout the state by providing grants, services and information to artists, arts organizations, schools and the public. The Council is the advisory board to the SDAC staff within the Department of Tourism. Council members are appointed by the Governor.

South Dakota Arts Council Board

Board Member	Office
Larry Lyngstad, Pierre	Chairperson
Paul Higbee, Spearfish	Vice Chairperson
Lynda Clark Adelstein, Rapid City	Treasurer
James L. Walker, Bath	Secretary
Linda Anderson, Rapid City
Brian Bonde, Sioux Falls
Don Montileaux, Rapid City
Jane Rasmussen, Sisseton
Jim Speirs, Sioux Falls
Lynne Byrne, Sioux Falls
Mary Bordeaux, Pine Ridge

South Dakota Arts Council Staff,
Department of Tourism

Staff	Office
Michael Pangburn	Director
Rebecca DallaGrana	Assistant Director
Sharon Winckler	Program Coordinator
Paul Mehlhaff	Grants Officer
Andrea Graham	FolkArts Consultant

PUBLIC VALUES: The Council believes

• access to the arts by all South Dakotans is intrinsic to the well being of our communities and the state.
• the arts play an essential role in tourism and economic development.
• arts education stimulates creativity, communication and life-long learning.
• strong arts organizations contribute to vibrant, progressive communities.
• artists enhance the state’s quality of life and require an environment which nurtures and sustains their work.

South Dakota Arts Council Long Range Goals:

1. Enhance quality of life and economic development through the arts. The arts can inspire creativity, celebrate traditions, help reconcile differences, provide recreation, enhance tourism and contribute to the economic and social development of whole communities. The Arts Council encourages and supports the efforts of South Dakota artists and arts organizations to enhance community livability. 
2. Promote public awareness and support of the arts. The Council believes greater awareness of the arts influences sustained support. In the public’s interest, programs and services of the Arts Council are designed to inform and educate people about the value of the arts for the well-being of South Dakotans.
3. Advance the arts as essential to education and life-long learning. Understanding the arts as basic to a good education, the Arts Council seeks to integrate the arts in education by supporting planning, curriculum development and teacher training. All children should experience the arts in their school, consistent with established state fine arts content standards. In addition, the arts should be an integral part of life-long learning.
4. Strengthen arts organizations. South Dakota needs strong and effective cultural organizations to connect the people and communities of the state with artists and arts programs. The Arts Council provides funds, information and services to encourage both large and small organizations to strive for excellence and further South Dakota Arts Council goals. Together with South Dakota artists, these organizations contribute to their communities.
5. Encourage and support artists. Recognizing that artists are central to the creative environment of South Dakota, the Council provides funding, information and services to artists for their artistic and professional growth. The Council values artists of all disciplines and cultures, amateur and professional, rural and urban, those who innovate and those who maintain the traditional arts.
6. Ensure accessibility to the arts. The Council seeks to minimize and eliminate barriers to the arts imposed by economic status, education, prejudice, distance or special needs. In all Council-funded programs and services, accessibility for every South Dakotan is paramount.

Arts Expansion Policy

The Council continues to encourage active cultural participation of ethnic and minority groups, particularly Native Americans, living in the state.

• The Council promotes the development of artistic work and presentation models suited to the state’s diverse resources and needs of small towns and geographically isolated areas.
• Educational opportunities at the state’s post-secondary institutions are encouraged and supported for the development of artists to work in South Dakota.
• The Council strives to encourage private and public sector support of cultural development, planning and funding of the arts in South Dakota.
• The Council seeks to remove social, economic and physical barriers to cultural activities, to ensure that all citizens have a role in cultural policy and decision making.

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