Arts South Dakota, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, enriches the lives of South Dakotans and their visitors, by advancing the arts through service, education and advocacy.
Launched in November 2015, Arts South Dakota is a statewide arts service, education and advocacy organization headquartered in Sioux Falls. It brings vitality to South Dakota communities and enriches people’s lives through the promotion of the creativity and visitor industries, by nurturing cultural leadership and education, and recognizing artistic excellence. The private, nonprofit group works closely with the South Dakota Arts Council, the state and federally funded division of South Dakota Tourism.
NEWS & EVENTS
Arts South Dakota is a statewide grassroots service, education, and advocacy organization.
National arts leader sees the best of South Dakota
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota Recently one of the people helping to bring arts funding to South Dakota toured our state and was blown away by the diversity and quality of our [...]
There’s no substitute for face-to-face meetings
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota During the summer, Arts South Dakota co-hosted a number of Arts Happy Hours around the state, from Hill City to Aberdeen and from Yankton to Faulkton. Situated [...]
Creative leaders join Arts South Dakota board
Three South Dakotans have joined the board of directors of Arts South Dakota. With expertise in the performing arts, Native American advocacy and STEM education, the new board members bring a wealth of talent [...]
Arts Education Institute connects schools to the arts
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota The arts should be a part of every classroom—and the arts can make every subject fun to learn. That’s one lesson of the Arts Education Institute, being [...]
Band directors are the musical heart of our communities
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota For many of us, the portal to the joys of making music was opened by a band director during our school years. Those first tentative notes became [...]
Arts Education Institute celebrates 20 years of inspiration
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota This year, the week of July 15-18 will mark the 20th annual Arts Education Institute—two decades of providing inspiration, new ideas and networking opportunities to art teachers, [...]
A Strong Partnership for the Arts in South Dakota
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Strengthening the creative culture of South Dakota and keeping the arts alive throughout our state requires a team effort — and the South Dakota Arts Council and Arts South Dakota lead that team.
As the state arts agency, the South Dakota Arts Council has been a vital grant making board for over a half century, leveraging state legislative dollars and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts to bring cultural experiences to every corner of South Dakota.
As the programming half of a dynamic team, Arts South Dakota provides advocacy, education and communication leadership. The private, nonprofit organization publishes Arts Alive, the state arts magazine; coordinates the Arts Education Institute, State Arts Conference and the Governor’s Awards in the Arts, and brings South Dakotans together to be an active local, state and national voice for our shared creative vision.