Arts South Dakota

Journeys to the Edge: The Artistic Legacy of Waud, Burns, and Crane
2026-01-20 - 2026-01-21, 2026-01-21 - 2026-01-22, 2026-01-22 - 2026-01-23, 2026-01-23 - 2026-01-24 | The Journey Museum, 222 New York St, Rapid City, SD, United States
The Journey Museum is pleased to announce the opening of an exciting new art exhibition, Journeys to the Edge: The Artistic Legacy of Waud, Burns, and Crane, on August 23rd, 2025 in our Contemporary Gallery. This exhibition is included with regular museum admission and will be on display through April 4th, 2026.
Journeys to the Edge explores the artistic legacy, family connection, and the enduring power of place. This unique exhibition brings together the works of three artists: Alfred R. Waud, Milton J. Burns, and Jon Crane.

Flyover: ​Visual Art Forum I
2026-01-21, 2026-01-22, 2026-01-23 | Dahl Arts Center, 713 7th St, Rapid City, SD, United States
Dale Lamphere, Roger Broer, Bill Fleming, Susan Turnbull, Ray Tysdal, and Kenny Putnam
11.21.25 – 02.14.26
Ruth Brennan Gallery
Reception December 19 | 5-7pm
Six artists from Flyover Country – longtime friends – all working in different styles and media, have come together to share ideas and participate in each others art making process. Starting a work and turning it over to fellow artists, who add their unique visions and expressions, creates a whole new set of looks and feels, igniting even further creative conversation The show features several solo pieces from each artist as well as sample collaborative works with the other artists. Let the conversation begin!

Yankton Area Arts - Pathways Shelter for the Homeless
2026-01-21, 2026-01-22, 2026-01-23 | Yankton Area Arts, 508 Douglas Ave, Yankton, 57078, United States
Pathways Shelter for the Homeless is local non-profit organization with a mission is to serve the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness within the Yankton area, and to engage partners in developing long-term solutions. The shelter was founded, in 1994, on the belief that everyone deserves a home. This exhibit will showcase works of art created by Pathways clients.

Always a Student
2026-01-22 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-23 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Johnson Fine Arts Center Gallery, 12th Ave SE, Aberdeen, 57401, United States
The NSU Art Department is pleased to announce its new gallery exhibition “Always a Student” displayed at the Johnson Fine Arts Center Gallery on the campus of Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD. The two-person exhibition features the artwork of artists Michael Aasness and Mark Stemwedel.
The artwork will be on display from January 12 – March 6, 2026. A closing reception is planned to be held on Friday, March 6 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. The exhibition primarily focuses on painting but also includes a range of artworks, including mixed media, drawings, and sculpture. Northern Galleries are open from 8 am to 5 pm and by appointment on weekends. The gallery will also be open during music and theatre performances in the evenings. Artist talks are free and open to the public.
“Always a Student” will provide a perspective on teachers’ reciprocal and evolving connection with their students. It will celebrate the ongoing and cyclical nature of creativity, teaching, and mentorship of art instructors. Featuring the works of two South Dakota art educators, the exhibition will highlight the diverse perspectives, techniques, and inspirations that each of them brings to their roles as teachers.
Michael Aasness has taught art to grades 6-12 at Sioux Valley School District in Volga, SD, for nine years. Michael is a 2017 graduate from the Studio Art Program at SDSU in Art Education, with an emphasis in painting. Michael continues to exhibit his artwork professionally throughout the Midwest, which includes a number of solo and group exhibitions throughout his career thus far. In the 2020- 2021 school year, Michael was named “Teacher of the Year” for Sioux Valley School District and was nominated for South Dakota Art Educator of the Year.
As a student, Michael studied painting under Mark Stemwedel at SDSU. Mark Stemwedel has taught courses in painting and drawing since 2008. He earned an M.F.A. in Painting from the University of South Dakota and a bachelor’s degree in visual arts from South Dakota State University. Mark’s paintings have been featured at the Washington Pavilion and IPSO Gallery in Sioux Falls, SD. His work has also been displayed at the South Dakota Art Museum in Brookings, SD, and in numerous national juried exhibitions. He previously received a South Dakota Arts Council Artist Development Grant. In 2023, he was awarded the South Dakota Arts Council Artist Fellowship.
Michael and Mark have impacted students from our region by sharing the importance of artistic exploration and creative expression. As artists, they contribute to the local and regional artistic community and continue to exhibit their artwork throughout the Midwest.
EXHIBITION NARRATIVE
“Always a Student” – Michael Aasness and Mark Stemwedel
From the outside, a teacher/student relationship may appear hierarchical. However, in art education it is far more reciprocal. Specific teacher/student roles are defined only within a classroom framework for a semester or a few short years. Students grow and move into their own professional roles as teachers. Teachers build connections and help others achieve their goals and dreams. The true nature of those connections is that we inform and inspire each other, perhaps in different ways, and artistic growth benefits from these meaningful interactions. Sometimes, artists have no other teacher to help them except themselves. Teaching and learning in the arts are fundamentally different, but lifelong learning is the goal. It is not about a specific answer but about searching. It is about learning to learn. It is about creating your own path of discovery. Students become teachers. Teachers become students.

Calling for entries into the Dakota MasterWorks Art Show
2026-01-22 09:00 - 15:00, 2026-01-23 09:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | South Dakota Health Care Association Office, 804 N Western Ave, Sioux Falls, 57104, United States
🎨 Calling All South Dakota Artists Age 60+! 🎨
We’re excited to announce the 28th Annual Dakota MasterWorks Art Show, a celebration of creativity and talent in South Dakota’s older adults!
If you’re age 60 or older, we invite you to showcase your artistic talents in one or more of the following categories:
• Oils
• Acrylics
• Watercolors
• Drawing/Pastels/Scratchboard
• Photography
• Mixed Media
• Creative Woodworking
Entry Dates:
October 6–10, 2025
Entries accepted between 9 AM – 3 PM at:
South Dakota Health Care Association Office
804 N Western Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104
Entry forms and criteria available at:
www.sdhca.org/dakota-masterworks
https://www.sdhca.org/dakota-masterworks

Grant Support Learning Sessions: 30 minutes
2026-01-22 10:00 - 10:30 (America/Chicago) | Virtual
New this year!
Grant Support Learning Sessions: 30 minutes
What they are:
Brief sessions hosted by Kate Vandel, SDAC Grants Manager, focused on understanding the grant application process, review criteria, and common applicant questions. Sessions are informal and include time for Q&A. Event signup and recordings of Grant Support Learning Sessions will be posted and shared on our social media.
Session Schedule & Topics:
Thursday, January 22 | 10:00–10:30 AM
Session 1: Application Overview & Funding
An overview of SDAC grant opportunities, how applications are structured, and how funding works.
https://state-sd.zoom.us/j/95998899490
Thursday, January 29 | 3:30–4:00 PM
Session 2: Application Development
Tips for shaping a clear application, responding to questions, and sharing your work effectively.
https://state-sd.zoom.us/j/94293732465
Thursday, February 5 | 3:30–4:00 PM
Session 3: Budget & Attachments
A plain-language look at budgets, work samples, and required attachments—what’s needed and what panelists look for.
https://state-sd.zoom.us/j/94207485010
Thursday, February 19 | 3:30–4:00 PM
Session 4: Are You Ready?
A final check-in on common questions, deadlines, and how to know when your application is ready to submit.
https://state-sd.zoom.us/j/97798880969
Can’t make these times? Need additional help?
”Drop‑In” Grant Help (Weekly Conversations):
What it is
Dedicated time for applicants to “drop in” by phone and talk directly with Arts Grants staff. Participants can ask questions, talk through an application, or get clarification, and no appointment is needed.
When
Every Tuesday 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Central
Call Kate, 605-773-5925
Call Holly, 605-773-4874
Online Applicant Support:
Join the SDAC Applicant Support Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/486354835191552
Monitored by SDAC staff; answering your application questions when you cannot make other dedicated dates/times.

Exhibition on view: The Augustana High School Invitational
2026-01-22 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-23 10:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Eide/Dalrymple Gallery at Augustana University, 2120 S Grange Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57197, Sioux Falls, 57197, United States
The exhibition of over one hundred ten artworks showcases a diverse array of artistic expressions from talented students from twenty-two regional high schools. The artists, who range from freshmen to seniors, have created in a wide range of mediums, including: ceramics, drawing, digital art, photography, mixed media, painting, printmaking, and sculpture.

ACCA Placeholder
2026-01-22 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Johnson Fine Arts Harvey and Cynthia Jewett Theatre 300, Johnson Fine Arts Stage 301
Event Locator: 2025-ACGJDA
ACCA Placeholder

Backcountry Film Festival & Soup Feed
2026-01-22 17:00 - 20:00 (America/Denver) | The Matthews Opera House – Theatre, 612 Main St, Spearfish, SD, United States
The 21st Annual Backcountry Film Festival (BCFF) returns to The Matthews, bringing a celebration of human-powered adventure, winter storytelling, and public lands advocacy to the local community.
Hosted by Chinook Days and the Matthews, in partnership with Winter Wildlands Alliance, the national nonprofit dedicated to protecting America’s wild snowscapes. The Backcountry Film Festival is part of a 100+ city international tour celebrating the spirit of human-powered adventure, through stories that connect us to wild places, to each other, and to the movement to keep winter wild.
This year’s screening will feature more than just films; at 5pm there will be a selection of mouthwatering soups from Killians, Antunes, Nonnas, Farmhouse.
At 6pm, the lights go down and the new Backcountry Film Festival lineup takes the stage, a curated collection of films that celebrate winter adventure and the fight to protect the places we love.
“Every Backcountry Film Festival event is a chance for our community to come together, celebrate the stoke of the season, and support local!
This screening is one stop on BCFF’s global tour, which supports grassroots conservation organizations across the world. Proceeds benefit programs such as SnowSchool, human-powered recreation and conservation efforts, and avalanche/safety education.

47th Annual BAC Photography Exhibition
2026-01-22 17:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | Brookings Arts Council, 524 4th St, Brookings, SD, United States
CALL FOR PHOTOGRAPHY
Join the Brookings Arts Council in hosting our 47th annual photography exhibition, featuring awarding guest juror Kelcey Shroder.
Conditions and Eligibility
All photographers ages 14 and up residing in South Dakota or living within a 150-mile radius of Brookings, South Dakota are eligible to enter this exhibition.
Payment, photographs, and a signed and completed entry form must be delivered or mailed to the BAC between January 2 and January 16, 2026, during regular gallery hours.
Important Dates
January 2–17: Entries accepted during regular gallery hours
Thursday–Friday: 12–5pm, Saturday–Sunday: 2–5pm
(Please contact us if accommodations are needed.)
Saturday, January 17: Final deadline for entry drop-off
(Please contact us if you require special arrangements for a different drop-off time.)
Thursday, January 22: Exhibition opens
Reception: 5:30–7:30pm
Awards and juror comments: 6:15pm
Saturday, February 21: Last day of exhibition
ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS
Entry fee:
$25 per piece with a limit of two works per artist. Card, cash, check or money order made payable to Brookings Arts Council will be accepted. Online payment is also available.
Any photographic print may be entered. Altered images and Photoshop composite prints must be clearly labeled as such. AI-generated or AI-assisted images are not eligible. The minimum allowed print size is 8×10 inches.
Submitted work should be printed on photographic-quality paper and be matted or framed. All work must be ready to hang from a gallery rail hook using wire (see diagram below). Nail-hole or sawtooth hangers cannot be accommodated due to our gallery rail and pinboard hanging system.
The juror will consider overall presentation as part of the judging process, including print quality and the condition and cleanliness of the frame and glass. The juror’s decision will be final.
ACCEPTANCE OF WORK
While we intend to include all photographs submitted, the Brookings Arts Council reserves the right to decline to exhibit any piece due to inability to hang, due to the nature of the subject, or the professionalism of the artist. While consensual adult nudity is allowed, pornography, violence, and anything overtly obscene is not. The decision of the Brookings Arts Council is final on this matter.

Chorus rehearsal
2026-01-22 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Denver) | Performing Arts Center, 601 Columbus St, Rapid City, SD, United States

Bakken, DeJongh, Thor
2026-01-22 18:30 - 21:30 (America/Chicago) | Trio Jazz Club, 340 S Main Ave, Sioux Falls, SD, United States
https://www.triojazzclub.com
#fellowshipjazzcenter #triojazzclub #livemusic #siouxfalls

Aberdeen Community Concert Association presents: GQ (Gentlemen’s Quartet)
2026-01-22 19:00 - 21:30 (America/Chicago) | Johnson Fine Arts Center Lobby 101, Johnson Fine Arts Harvey and Cynthia Jewett Theatre 300, Johnson Fine Arts Stage 301, Johnson Fine Arts Center Vestibule 100
Event Locator: 2025-ACFXRQ
GQ (Gentlemen’s Quartet) is a modern, elegant take on some of the most famous music ever written, fusing together multiple genres in a perfect symphony of sophistication, virtuosity, and humor. Comprised of cello/mandocello, electric guitar/bass, percussion, piano and violin, with special appearances by female vocalist Erin Shields, their concerts offer audiences a new, often deeper, way of listening to music.

Mitchell Concert Series
2026-01-23 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | 401 Create, 401 N Main, Mitchell, 57301, United States
Fri, Jan 9th – NOON | Our hometown dynamic duo, Billy Lurken & Chris Foster
Friday, Jan 16th – NOON | Sioux Falls Singer/Songwriters Audrianna & Greyson Schulz
Friday, Jan 23rd – NOON | Black Hills songstress Jami Lynn
Fri, Jan 30th – NOON | a MAGIC show by Jeff Quinn

️ Saturday, Jan 31st – 5 PM | Our Third Annual FROST JAM will be held at Area Community Theatre in Mitchell – featuring a Quilt raffle, 50/50 raffle, Themed Deck Art Show & Sale, Jeff Quinn Magic, Dynamite & the Romeos, and Morphed Organs!
All of the NOON shows will provide free lunch for all attendees; serving starts at 11:30. FREE WILL donations for food & performances will be accepted for the arts council.
All shows are FREE & all are welcome.

Thank you so much to the SDAC. South Dakota Arts Council support is provided with funds from the State of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

NMM Live! | Heartland Marimba Quartet
2026-01-23 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | National Music Museum Performance Hall, East Clark Street, Vermillion, South Dakota, 57069, United States
Event Contact: National Music MuseumContact Email: nmm@usd.eduContact Phone: 605-658-3450Event URL: https://www.nmmusd.org/events/37bb1985-2b24-4a6d-8ca1-0611a2c03b5bEvent Locator: 2025-ACGQQR
Join us for performance with the Heartland Marimba Quartet, one of today’s leading ensembles dedicated to expanding and elevating the classical marimba art form. Since its founding in 2016, HMQ has toured widely across the country and internationally, presenting virtuosic, imaginative programs that spotlight American composers and new works from artists around the world.
The quartet’s recent accomplishments include guest-artist performances at the 2022 World Marimba Competition in Stuttgart, concerto appearances with multiple symphony orchestras, and concerts at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. They have premiered major new works—such as Kevin Romanski’s Concerto for Marimba Quartet and Orchestra—and served as headline artists at the 2023 Crossroads Music Festival.
HMQ is also a leader in advancing new music. With support from New Music USA, the ensemble established the New Quartets Project Consortium, commissioning works from six celebrated women composers. Many of these compositions, along with other repertoire the group tours with, are published by HM Publications.
Experience the marimba as you’ve never heard it—dynamic, expressive, and full of color.
Free with admission (always free for USD faculty, staff, & students!)
Event will be livestreamed here.

Ink & Imagination: Opening Reception
2026-01-23 17:00 - 19:00 (America/Denver) | The Matthews Art Gallery, 612 Main St, Spearfish, SD, United States
Join us on Friday, January 23rd for the opening reception of our community exhibit celebrating the intersection of art and literature. Experience a cozy, inviting atmosphere where visual art and written works come together to inspire reflection, connection, and creativity. Visitors are encouraged to linger, explore, and immerse themselves in a space designed for comfort and contemplation.
This exhibit is part of our “Mini Big Read” programming in collaboration with Henry’s Books, highlighting this year’s book selection, In the Distance by Hernan Diaz. Enjoy art, conversation, and a shared love of reading as we celebrate the creativity that springs from both words and images.

Bittersweet
2026-01-23 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Drifter’s Bar & Grille, Hustan Avenue, Fort Pierre, SD, 57532, United States
Get ready for a night of LIVE MUSIC and great vibes. BitterSweet is taking over the stage at Drifters Bar & Grille on Jan 23rd from 6–8pm! Grab your crew, order a round, and let’s make some noise. See you on the dance floor!

Where the Creatives Gather
2026-01-23 18:00 - 22:00 (America/Chicago) | Kristopherson Korner, Sisseton, United States
Artist gathering the last three Fridays of each month from November until May at Kristopherson Korner, Veterans Avenue Sisseton Bring Art projects you are working on and come hang out with other artists the last three Fridays during the winter months. Music, Hot Tea and snacks provided. Don’t forget your tea mug!

Fellowship Jazz Center MINI Orchestra
2026-01-23 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Trio Jazz Club, 340 S Main Ave, Sioux Falls, SD, United States

JAMuary - Taylor Scott Band
2026-01-23 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Denver) | The Matthews Opera House – Theatre, 612 Main St, Spearfish, SD, United States
JAMuary is back! A weekly winter concert series designed to warm up Spearfish with great music and real community impact. Each JAMuary night features a different live act and directly supports local nonprofits making a difference here at home. This year’s beneficiaries include Spread the Tunes, The Matthews, G.A.S., Spearfish Trail Co‑op, and Artemis House.
The Taylor Scott Band blends roots‑rock, funk, soul, and Americana into a genre‑defying “mountain funk” sound, driven by Taylor’s soulful vocals and fiery guitar work. Led by a songwriter who grew up in Wyoming and cut his teeth touring with blues legend Otis Taylor, the band draws on deep musical influences while charting its own path. Their third album, The Hang, produced by Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin, explores themes of community, self‑discovery, and finding light in darker places.
https://www.taylorscottmusic.com/music
Event details
Doors: 6:30 pm
Show: 7:00 pm
Age: 12+
Venue: The Matthews Opera House, Spearfish, SD
Tickets
$15 advance + fees
$20 at the door + fees
Proceeds from JAMuary nights support:
Spread the Tunes
The Matthews
Grooming Alliance of Spearfish (G.A.S.)
Spearfish Trails Co‑op
Artemis House
What to expect
A winter concert series atmosphere, cozy, high‑energy, community‑focused
Beer, wine, and concessions are available for purchase.
Policies and accessibility
All sales are final unless the event is canceled or rescheduled
Please be respectful of artists and guests
The Matthews is accessible; contact us ahead of time for specific accommodations
