By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota
This year, the holidays will be different for all of us. Maybe that’s a reason to give more unique gifts—gifts that support and enhance the work of South Dakota artists. There are so many choices, with something very special for each name on your list.
It’s easy to give the gift of South Dakota creativity. Choose a book by one of our state’s authors or photographers, jewelry created by a local artisan, a framed print or painting by a South Dakota artist or tickets to a special performance, perhaps a musical event planned for the coming year.
Gifts reflecting our state’s creative culture are not hard to find. Nearly every bookstore in South Dakota has an “in-state” or “regional” section, filled with our state’s writers sharing their stories, telling tales of the past or breaking new ground with exciting fiction or poetry. Museum gift shops are perfect spots to find South Dakota artists’ two- and three-dimensional work in an incredible range of prices, sizes, colors and subject matter. Galleries, both public and private, show and sell furniture, sculptures, prints, drawings and notecards created here in South Dakota by your neighbors. And don’t forget albums and holiday performances by South Dakota musicians. Honor a loved one by giving a donation to a local nonprofit arts organization in their name. You will be strengthening the arts community with your gift.
You can show personal support to favorite artists struggling in these difficult times with a direct financial contribution to keep them producing art. Giving a gift to artists or purchasing local art helps make South Dakota a place where artists are encouraged and can make a living. You enhance our cultural heritage, advance the appreciation of the arts and spark new ideas for the recipient. It’s a holiday gift that benefits us all—and strengthens the creative environment for our children.
For more about arts possibilities and events in South Dakota, visit www.artssouthdakota.org.
