Governor’s 8th Biennial Art Exhibition opening Friday

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BROOKINGS – The South Dakota Art Museum hosts the South Dakota Governor’s 8th Biennial Art Exhibition, featuring works from 64 South Dakota artists, Jan. 25 to April 20. The showing, the first of four statewide, represents all regions of the state and a wide variety of art forms. 

The museum will host an opening reception from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25. Appetizers and refreshments will be served. Guests will have the opportunity to meet artists and explore exhibits throughout the museum. There will not be a formal artist talk.

Jodi Lundgren, South Dakota Art Museum curator of exhibitions, served as one of the four jurors who reviewed 298 entries from 112 artists in a blind jurying process. Echoing the jurors’ statement in the exhibition catalog, Lundgren noted, “The submissions were of tremendous quality; the artists of South Dakota are creating vital work in response to the world around them and the times in which we live. This exhibition speaks to the current artistic moment in South Dakota, filled with observations both quiet and startling, and moments of beauty and surprise.”

Six artists from Brookings were selected, including South Dakota State University School of Design faculty members Diana Behl and Peter Reichardt, and community artists Andrew Kosten, Harriet Lievan, Jessie Rasche and Robert Semrad. While many of the artists are from cities and university communities, artists from rural and smaller communities across the state are also represented. 

“The challenge of geographical isolation has given way to a new era of connectivity,” Lundgren said, “and has opened doors and opportunities in unprecedented ways. South Dakota artists see, and are being seen, more than ever.” 

Patrick Baker, executive director of the South Dakota Arts Council, appreciates that the exhibition includes both exciting emerging artists and noted masters.

“The remarkable collection comprises a plethora of artistic approaches,” he wrote in the catalog, “i.e., there’s something for everybody: from acrylic to graphite, intaglio to monotype, metal to fiber, paper to canvas, wood to digital print, stoneware to gouache, and everything in between.” The state arts council provides major financial support for the organization of the show, its travel across the state, and for the acquisition of works by artists from the exhibition for the collections of the exhibiting institutions.

The South Dakota Governor’s Biennial Art Exhibition was established in 2003 in order to recognize and encourage South Dakota artists, to promote the artistic identity of South Dakota, to celebrate the cultural and artistic heritage and future of South Dakota, and to encourage a larger sense of community and connection across separate artistic communities within the state. 

The exhibition travels across the state and is organized through the collaborative efforts of staff at the exhibiting institutions. After being displayed at the South Dakota Art Museum, the show will travel to the Dahl Arts Center at the Rapid City Arts Council, Rapid City (May 3-Aug. 17), the John A. Day Gallery at the University of South Dakota, Vermillion (Aug. 30-Oct. 11), and the Visual Arts Center at the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science, Sioux Falls (Oct. 26, 2019-Jan. 19, 2020).

The biennial exhibitions are a snapshot of the tremendous quality and unique diversity of artistic creativity within the state at a specific point in time. Their accompanying catalogs serve as valuable permanent records that help to trace historical developments and connections within the state. The catalog for the eighth biennial exhibition will be available at the South Dakota Art Museum. The list of artists and a sampling of works can be viewed on www.SouthDakotaArtMuseum.com.