3 minute read
Arts Council’s ‘New Vision’
By Patrick Baker, Executive Director South Dakota Arts Council
It was a long time coming, but it was worth the wait for the South Dakota Arts Council 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.
Adopted by the Council in July, the plan will advance South Dakota’s artistic and cultural vitality over the next five fiscal years by guiding the state arts agency’s work to provide funding, points of connection and resources.
The plan took four years to complete due to the interruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and reimagining how we seek input from the arts community. Despite the sea change in how we asked for input on doing our jobs – shifting from a string of regional public-input meetings to dozens of artist-led community interviews across the state – we still front-loaded the plan with our values, which, as a values-based leader, I think is critical.
SDAC believes the arts are essential in daily life across South Dakota; the arts connect communities, cultures and generations; the arts are a vital component of South Dakota’s economy (just check the Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 study, featured in this issue); and a vibrant arts ecosystem attracts, sustains and advances a diverse population of professionals. We plan to evaluate and make commitments related to these values annually.
These values are founded in the Arts Council’s commitment to serving all South Dakotans through the arts by not only helping to provide access, but also including as many perspectives as possible in our planning. As dedicated members of South Dakota’s arts sector who share a passion for our state and the inspiring art-making happening in it, our team strives for excellence in creative solutions, attentive service to our creative community, and investing in art that advances the field and our state.
This five-year plan was shaped through our vision of South Dakota as an expansive arts community where people connect, build strong relationships, share and develop ideas. SDAC will uphold that community by providing broad access to the arts; supporting and serving a knowledgeable and engaged field of artists, educators, presenters and volunteers; continuously adapting to changes; promoting diversity of thought, expression and culture that is reflected in our state; and encouraging and supporting colleagues at every stage of their career.
Even though I’ve had ample time to think about this new plan, it didn’t occur to me just how apt our strategic imperatives are until June when I attended the 2024 South Dakota Arts Conference, where all in attendance seemed to be operating under the same important factors. Everyone was being curious and responsive; exploring and enhancing opportunities; and ultimately preparing for a future of discovery, change and growth.
Though much has changed with the South Dakota Arts Council’s strategic planning over the course of its 58-year history, and the current plan heralds a new vision for the state arts agency, SDAC’s essential means to these ends should feel familiar: We help artists and communities achieve their work through grantmaking, policymaking, partnership and advising.
The South Dakota Arts Council 2024-2029 Strategic Plan may be viewed in the “About Us” section of SDAC’s website at artscouncil.sd.gov.
