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GOVERNOR RHODEN OPENS CALL TO STUDENT ARTISTS
PIERRE, S.D. – In celebration of National Arts in Education Week, Sept. 15-19, 2025, Governor Larry Rhoden and the South Dakota Arts Council announce the opening of the Governor’s Student Art Competition.
All South Dakota students in kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to participate in this program. Selected student work from each age division will be exhibited at the State Capitol in Pierre from January through September 2026.
The submission deadline is Nov. 5. The divisions are organized as grades K-2, grades 3-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12.
Full Press Release [linked here]. Program details linked here.
10 NEW PIECES PURCHASED FOR STATE ART COLLECTION
PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota Arts Council (SDAC) recently purchased 10 new pieces for the state’s public art collection through the Art for State Buildings program.
The artworks were selected by a five-member advisory committee to the SDAC, which reviewed 80 purchase proposals from 65 different artists and based its decisions on set review criteria including: quality of the work and relevance to the artist’s career; the artwork’s relevance to South Dakota environment, history, heritage, or culture; professional experience of the artist; durability and safety, as required for public artworks and viewers.
Full Press Release [linked here]. Program details linked here.
ARTS & CULTURE BUSINESSES IMPACT SOUTH DAKOTA’S ECONOMY
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota's nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $363 million in economic activity in 2022. This is according to Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), an economic and social impact study conducted by Americans for the Arts with support from the South Dakota Arts Council, Arts South Dakota, and local arts agencies in Aberdeen, Brookings, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, and Yankton.
View the full press release online [linked here].
ARTS SOUTH DAKOTA For information on arts opportunities and events from around the state, subscribe to Arts South Dakota's newsletter (linked here) online at https://artssouthdakota.org/
ARTS COUNCIL'S STRATEGIC PLANNING
In the wake of the Covid 19 crisis, our agency embarked on an exciting journey of exploration with a cohort of 10 artist researchers who helped us reach constituents across our state to gather input about the work of our agency, their experiences with the arts, and a better arts future for South Dakotans. Employing this artist cohort to hold conversations with their friends and colleagues removed a barrier for many people who are unable or unwilling to attend a public gathering and share their thoughts. These personal and focused conversations resulted in more honest feedback, an exchange of ideas, and aspirations for what the arts sector could do in our state.
