South Dakota Art Museum

06/14/2026

Looking for a creative break? 🎨✨

Visit the Art Museum anytime during our open hours, and you’re sure to find hands-on art activities for all ages waiting for you in the galleries.

We always have at least one dedicated activity space (and often more!) where visitors can make art, read, write, or simply relax and enjoy the Museum at their own pace. Depending on the day, you might find activities like air-dry clay, weaving on a standing loom, coloring, crochet, and more.

And don’t miss our additional activity table, featuring rotating hands-on activities and creative prompts for visitors of all ages.

Stop in, slow down, and make something with us. 🖍️🧶🪡

06/12/2026

Final touches before opening day. ✨

Museum staff are hard at work preparing America in Art, opening tomorrow at the South Dakota Art Museum.

This installation features Willem Volkersz’s Follow Your Bliss (1994/2015), a sculpture inspired by the idea that each person must discover and pursue the path that brings them deep joy and purpose.

We can’t wait to share this exhibition with you.

OpeningDay

06/12/2026

Join us tonight for the closing reception and panel discussion for Porter Williams: Evolution of Black America.

The evening begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by a panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. featuring guest curators Jonathan Kelley and Zechariah Van Harris III, South Dakota Art Museum Advisory Board member Lawrence Diggs, and moderator Letishia Kelley.

Together, they will explore the continued relevance of Williams' work through themes of lived experience, storytelling, activism, and legacy—connecting the past to the present and asking what "evolution" means today.

The South Dakota Art Museum at South Dakota State University invites the public to the closing reception and panel discussion for “Porter Williams: Evolution of Black America,” an exhibition celebrating the work and legacy of the late South Dakota artist and civil rights activist.

06/10/2026

🎉 OPEN HOUSE EVENT

📅 Saturday, June 13, 2026
🕙 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

America in Art opens at the South Dakota Art Museum on June 13 and remains on view through December.

Organized in recognition of the nation's 250th anniversary, America in Art invites visitors to explore the ideals, struggles, freedoms, and contradictions that have shaped the American experience.

Drop in anytime between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Guided tours will be offered at the top of each hour beginning at 11 a.m., with the final tour at 3 p.m.

🍿 Enjoy complimentary lemonade and popcorn, plus yard games on the plaza—fun for all ages!

🎟️ Admission is free.

06/09/2026

Join us as we close Porter Williams: Evolution of Black America with an evening reception and panel discussion at the South Dakota Art Museum on Friday, June 12.

This special event will reflect on Porter Williams’ legacy and the continued relevance of his work—exploring themes of lived experience, storytelling, activism, and what “evolution” means in the present moment.

🕠 Reception begins at 5:30 PM
🕡 Panel discussion begins at 6:30 PM (Museum auditorium)

Featuring:
Jonathan Kelley (Guest Curator)
Zechariah Van Harris III (Guest Curator)
Lawrence Diggs (SDAM Board Member)

Moderated by Letishia Kelley
We hope you’ll join us for this closing conversation honoring a South Dakota artist whose work continues to speak across time—then, now, and into the future.

📍 South Dakota Art Museum | SDSU Campus
🎟 Free and open to the public

This program is completely free thanks to our generous donors, Museum members, and exhibition sponsors: Revell Dickerson Endowment, National Endowment for the Arts, South Dakota Arts Council, and BronzeAge Art Casting.

05/28/2026

Meet artist Laura Jewell.

Inspired by her childhood exploring farmland, creeks, and open skies in rural Kansas, Laura creates abstract artworks that capture a sense of calm and memory. Her style reflects both grand vistas and the quiet beauty of small natural details, often inspired by travel and the familiar landscapes of the Midwest.

Now based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Laura continues to create paintings that invite viewers to slow down and reflect.

Shop Laura Jewell’s work at the South Dakota Art Museum Shop, where every purchase supports museum exhibitions and programming. Thank you for supporting artists and helping make a difference through your shopping.

05/23/2026

Step into the story of a pioneer. 📽️🎞️

This bronze sculpture by Porter Richard Williams honors Oscar Micheaux — filmmaker, author, homesteader, and one of the first major African-American feature filmmakers in the United States. Through more than 40 films, Micheaux challenged stereotypes and brought authentic Black stories to the screen at a time when those voices were too often excluded.

Featured in Porter Williams: Evolution of Black America. Oscar Micheaux, 2000–2015, Bronze. Courtesy of the South Dakota African American History Museum

Come experience the powerful stories, history, and artistry throughout the exhibition.

05/22/2026

Pardon Our Progress 🪜🖼️✨

Our galleries are transforming May 18–June 12 as we prepare for our upcoming exhibition: America in Art, opening June 13.

During this transition, you can still enjoy Porter Williams: Evolution of Black America, New Arrivals and Marghab Linens: Sharon's Selections.

05/13/2026

Happy Birthday to Oscar Howe (1915–1983), one of the most groundbreaking Native American painters of the 20th century.

Born on the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota, Howe transformed Native art through his bold modernist style and storytelling deeply rooted in Dakota culture. By challenging narrow definitions of Native American painting, he inspired generations of Native artists to embrace individuality and cultural pride.

This post also highlights a remarkable detail found in many of Howe’s works: his painted thumbprint signature. Alongside his traditional signature, Howe often pressed his thumbprint into the margin using color pulled directly from the composition itself — a deeply personal mark connecting artist and artwork.

Explore the images to see two works by Howe alongside close-up details of these intimate thumbprint signatures.

🖼️ Buffalo Hunt, 1968, casein on paper
🖼️ Dakota Medicine Man, 1968, casein on paper

Both works are part of the South Dakota Art Museum Collection. © Oscar Howe Family

05/11/2026

There’s still time to experience the incredible fiber artwork featured in Color in Context: Red, on view through Saturday, May 17. ❤️

Throughout the exhibition, our community came together to celebrate creativity through special events including the Spring Exhibits Celebration, Family Fun Day, contour drawing activities during the Members Celebration, and yoga surrounded by art. Thank you to everyone who visited, participated, and helped make these experiences so meaningful.

We are deeply grateful to the generous sponsors whose support made this exhibition and its programs possible, bringing inspiration, connection, and creativity to our community:

〰️Venance and Deborah Lengkeek
〰️Woody Franklin and Betty L. Beer Franklin
〰️Harriet Swedlund and Carolyne Hart
〰️Jane Hegland and Steve Will
〰️Mary Jane Sankot Holland (in memoriam), in honor of Elizabeth Rezek
〰️Gary and Sharon Van Riper
〰️National Endowment for the Arts
〰️South Dakota Arts Council

Special thanks to Meyer Orthodontics for sponsoring Family Fun Day, and to a generous sponsor for supporting our yoga event.

Don’t miss your chance to see this vibrant exhibition before it closes! ✨

Organized by Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA)