By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota It’s federal funding time again, and Congress is looking to give the arts a raise—with your help! Recently the Senate Appropriations Committee allocated an increase in funding to $209 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the FY’25 Interior Appropriations bill. That’s a [...]
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota People are the generators that energize the arts throughout South Dakota. In communities across the state, your neighbors are finding innovative ways to encourage, advocate and participate in the arts. Our organization has been fortunate enough to have many of those individuals on our board of directors, [...]
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota The biennial State Arts Conference earlier this month in Sioux Falls brought together champions of the arts from across South Dakota for two days of meaningful workshops, dynamic speakers and the exchange of creative ideas. But the most important aspect of the conference was creating a place [...]
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota One of the main keynote speakers for the biennial State Arts Conference June 7-8 in Sioux Falls is Randy Cohen, Vice President of Research at Americans for the Arts. Randy travels the nation, sharing cultural information and the impact of the arts with groups in every [...]
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota The arts touch the lives of everyone in South Dakota—and the biennial State Arts Conference is a celebration for anyone who enjoys our state’s creative culture. The conference runs June 7-8 in Sioux Falls at the Washington Pavilion. Now is the time to mark your calendar and [...]
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota The 2024 issue of South Dakota Arts Journal just came out this month, mailed to thousands of South Dakotans who are members of Arts South Dakota or subscribers to South Dakota Magazine—and the enthusiasm for this annual arts publication continues to grow. Our first issue sold [...]
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota Each community in South Dakota is home to individuals who are creating art. In many of our cities and towns, a Community Arts Council has been formed to promote and celebrate local art while encouraging and supporting their creative citizens. Home is Where the Art is, [...]
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota One of the questions that arises each year about this time, especially among arts advocates, is the question of government support for cultural activities and programs. I’ve heard from some people who think that private individuals, foundations and companies should provide the funding that keeps the [...]
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota Would you like to present holiday gifts that are wonderfully original, totally appreciated, perfectly unique—and support a vital element of our state’s economy? Give the work of South Dakota artists! Choose handmade work created by one of our artisans, a print or painting by a South Dakota [...]
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota The arts change lives, from elementary schools to senior citizen centers and for people in every walk of life—the arts truly benefit us all. And the arts also transform economies, according to a new study of South Dakota’s nonprofit arts and culture industry. Arts & Economic Prosperity [...]
