Warrior’s Work & Ben West Gallery
Outstanding Support of the Arts by an Organization or Business
Warrior’s Work & Ben West Gallery creates excitement and energy around the arts for everyone who crosses its threshold. The gallery’s owners, Randy Berger and Janna Emmel, provide support and outreach to artists, patrons, tourists, students and community members. Many locals believe the gallery was a primary catalyst in the transformation of Hill City into what Secretary of Tourism Jim Hagen has called “South Dakota’s art center.”
CONGRATULATIONS
to the recipients of the 2023 Governor’s Awards in the Arts!
Arts South Dakota and the South Dakota Arts Council co-sponsor the Governor’s Awards to recognize individuals and businesses who have made a statewide impact through artistic excellence or outstanding support of the arts.
S.D. Nelson
Distinction in Creative Achievement
After teaching art for 28 years, S.D. Nelson turned his talents to creating stunning children's books about Lakota culture. An enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Nelson is descended from both Norse and American Indian ancestors. He absorbed Lakota culture from traditional family stories that later became book ideas. His books include Black Elk’s Vision, The Star People and Greet the Dawn. In 2018 Nelson co-founded the nonprofit Read at Home to inspire early literacy among Native children.
Stephen
& Catherine Thurman
Charlotte Carver Honorary Award for Outstanding Service to the Arts Community
Stephen and Catherine Thurman combined their talents in 1980 to launch Thurman & Thurman, a creative services enterprise in Sioux Falls. A year later, the South Dakota Arts Council recruited them to help write the stories of our state’s creative community. Soon they were producing newsletters and public relations campaigns, beginning their decades-long commitment to uniting South Dakotans around the arts.
FROM ARTS SOUTH DAKOTA AND THE SOUTH DAKOTA ARTS COUNCIL
Dallas Chief Eagle
Outstanding Support of the Arts to Native Nations with Lands in South Dakota
Dallas Chief Eagle has taught the hoop dance to generations of children from all cultures, impacting Native and non-Native communities across the state. Because of the path he paved, others have been inspired to take pride in their Native culture and have reconnected to it through dance, song and art. Chief Eagle has worked as an artist-in-residence at his All Nations Gathering Center in the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Cory Knedler
Outstanding Service in Arts Education
Cory Knedler is an artist, associate professor and, since 2002, chair of the Department of Art at the University of South Dakota. He serves as a mentor to future generations of artists in the state through his leadership of USD’s vibrant art programs. USD offers our state’s only MFA in fine art. One of Knedler’s most vital contributions has been as director of the Oscar Howe Summer Art Institute. Held annually, the program hosts Native high school students, helping them gain experience in creating art with Indigenous artists.
Thank you to the following Governor’s Awards in the Arts supporters:
Brian BondeOutstanding Support of the Arts by an Individual
As an actor, musician, fundraiser, board member, workshop presenter, nonprofit arts consultant and arts producer, Brian Bonde has elevated the arts in South Dakota. He has raised over $200 million for nonprofit organizations and has spent thousands of volunteer hours creating policies and programs to help South Dakota arts organizations and artists. He is a board member of Arts Midwest, a nine-state regional arts organization.
BECOME A MEMBER!
Support the arts by becoming a member of Arts South Dakota! Learn more and give today at ArtsSouthDakota.org!
Arts South Dakota, a non-partisan and non-profit service organization, advances the arts for South Dakotans and our visitors by connecting, advocating, and educating.
The South Dakota Arts Council is a state agency serving South Dakotans and their communities through the arts.
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