Celebrating 10 years of Arts South Dakota
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota We’re celebrating this year as we pass a major milestone—ten years of advocating for, connecting and strengthening the arts in South Dakota. Founded in 2016, Arts South [...]
A non-partisan spotlight on Arts Advocacy Day in Pierre
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota With the Legislative Session in full swing, Arts South Dakota will be in Pierre meeting with state senators and representatives, hosting events and focusing attention on [...]
Give the gift of support to arts nonprofits this season
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota December marks the season of giving. As we consider those to whom we wish to be generous, we need to remember our nonprofit arts community—this year more [...]
Lakota Music Project is more than a synthesis of cultures
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota I have always believed that music is the universal language, but seldom have I seen people and cultures brought together as beautifully as at the concert [...]
New films spotlight exciting South Dakota artists
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota One of the missions of Arts South Dakota is to remind people about the artists living in large and small communities across our state creating powerful [...]
Professionals band together to strengthen arts education
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota One of the most vital elements in protecting South Dakota’s cultural heritage, promoting our creative industry and providing an enriching environment for all generations is the [...]
Arts tourism keeps getting better—and more patriotic
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota The State Tourism Department has long realized that art drives tourism—and exciting programs are available to capitalize on our statewide creative energy. From exciting new video productions [...]
ADA keeps the arts diverse, equal and inclusive
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota In 1990, the nation’s lawmakers recognized that differently-abled members of our population had not previously been guaranteed equal access and that physical barriers were preventing Americans [...]
Keeping promises to the arts in SD
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota South Dakotans—and all Americans, according to nationwide surveys—believe that the arts are important to our culture and our everyday life. We also believe that the federal government [...]
South Dakota needs the National Endowment for the Arts
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota With South Dakota’s humanities programming—including proven children’s literacy projects—threatened because of the elimination of the federal appropriation for the National Endowment for the Humanities, it’s time to [...]
Arts Leadership Institute shares ideas and strategies
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota Amazing arts and culture projects are happening all across South Dakota but arts organizations and their leaders are spread out and often isolated from colleagues. The Arts [...]
Arts grants and programs impact every life
By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota There’s a reason that South Dakota governors and legislators have for decades supported the arts and creative industry in our state. The South Dakota Arts Council, [...]
