Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors the Congressional Art Competition, a high school visual art competition celebrating artistic talent in U.S. congressional districts. More than 650,000 high school students have participated in the competition since it began in the early 1980s. Artworks must be original two-dimensional pieces that can include paintings, drawings, collages, prints, photographs or mixed-media…
Capitol art exhibits are a strategy state arts agencies adopt to showcase and celebrate the arts as an important part of state policy and public pride. Exhibiting artworks or cultural events in state capitol buildings helps to raise public awareness about the arts, create visibility for local artists and educate elected officials about the role…
Residencies for Recovery, a new program of the South Dakota Arts Council (SDAC), uses artist-led practices to promote community recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, to prepare for future disasters and to build resiliency through the arts. The program is based on the premise that artists are creative problem solvers, able to build community bonds and…
This year, there is a new category of the biennial South Dakota Governor’s Awards in the Arts—presented by the South Dakota Arts Council and Arts South Dakota—that honors efforts to support tribal communities. The Outstanding Support of the Arts to Native Nations with Lands in South Dakota Award recognizes an individual, organization or business that…
This year, the South Dakota Arts Council (SDAC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary by honoring the contributions of the state’s creative ecosystem to its social, political and economic well-being. To this end, SDAC launched a special project, 50 Artists to Watch, to highlight the work and processes of South Dakotan visual, performing and literary artists…
South Dakota is one of the most rural states in the country, ranking 46th in population density. This creates particular challenges for the South Dakota Arts Council (SDAC) in supporting arts education and arts experiences. Its new Educator Grant program is an innovative mechanism to overcome rural-state obstacles by seeding opportunities for creativity in both…
The Journey of Healing in the Arts is a collaborative program of the Sanford Cancer Center and the South Dakota Arts Council (SDAC). In combination with standard medical treatments, the Journey of Healing in the Arts uses creative activities to enhance patient care as well as to provide support for family members and other caregivers.…
South Dakota – Our Culture & Heritage is a cooperative publication by the South Dakota Arts Council (SDAC), the South Dakota Office of Tourism and the South Dakota State Historical Society. The publication includes information about art galleries, ethnic diversity, festivals, heritage parks, historical architecture, historical markers, Lewis and Clark, live music, Native American experiences,…