State of the art.

Local arts councils energize their communities

March 21st, 2023|Blog|

By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota Every South Dakota community is unique, with a fascinating combination of people and talent—and that is the recipe for a successful local arts council. An arts council [...]

Share your gifts with emerging artists

November 21st, 2022|Blog|

By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota Recently I had the opportunity to help out during a jam session at a local restaurant that promotes live music weekly and a special open stage jam [...]

The arts need you to vote smART

October 12th, 2022|Blog|

By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota Decisions made in Pierre and Washington, DC shape South Dakota’s cultural horizons, making Election Day a powerful tool for building our state’s creative future. On November 8, [...]

Your chance to spotlight South Dakota’s best

September 12th, 2022|Blog|

By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota Every two years, Arts South Dakota and the state arts agency join together with the current South Dakota governor to honor our home state’s outstanding contributors to [...]

Encourage more federal arts funding for SD

August 15th, 2022|Blog|

By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota It was disappointing to see our lone Congressman, Dusty Johnson, recently support a funding bill amendment that would have reduced National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) appropriations [...]

Indigenous flute spotlighted as state instrument

July 19th, 2022|Blog|

By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota South Dakota’s heritage is a unique combination of indigenous and immigrant cultures, and celebrating those elements helps make our state a leader in the recognition of its [...]