The South Dakota State Art Museum hosted the opening reception for the Governor’s 11th Biennial Art Exhibition featuring work from artists from all over the state last weekend.
The exhibit features 62 works from 57 artists, including local artists from Brookings. The exhibit is open to all visual media created in the last three years.
“I think the strength of the show is the diversity of materials, techniques and subject matter present in the selected works,” Taylor Mckeown, the exhibit curator and the art museums juror, said.
A juried show opened to artists currently living and working in South Dakota. Selections were made by a panel of representatives from each of the four exhibiting galleries and museums.
The four institutions were the South Dakota Art Museum, the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science, the John A. Gallery, and the Dahl Arts Center.
Artists could submit their works in October to be reviewed and potentially accepted by a panel of four jurors. Each of the four participating institutions had one juror.
The set-up for the reception was a two-week process that consisted of painting and arrangement in the South Dakota Art Museum to display all the art pieces.
There were 17 participating artists in attendance at the opening reception in Brookings. Artists travelled from as far away as Spearfish, SD.
“We often hear from the participating artists that the Biennial offers them a rare opportunity to connect with each other,” Mckeown said. “In our very wide state, such interactions are uncommon.”
Attendees and artists mixed together to talk at the reception. Museum staff and artists were happy with attendance at the event. The museum served wine and snack plates along with other beverages.
“Art is meant to be shared; I found that people are not very aware of art,” said Charlene Brown, an artist and art teacher from Pierre, when asked about the importance of this event.
Viewers can refer to the exhibit catalog on display to learn more about the artist’s pieces and the processes that went into creating them.
Contrary to the name of the exhibit, it has little to do with the current governor. The name was chosen at the exhibits’ founding in 2003 to signify the importance of the event. This year there wasn’t a chance for a statement because of the transition of power between Govs. Kristi Noem and Larry Rhoden during the event’s curation.
The Biennial launched in 2003 and historically has made its first stop at the South Dakota Art Museum before travelling around the state. The museum serves as the first stop since they are the major organizer of the exhibit.
In May, the museum will be hosting virtual chats with the featured artists to talk with the community about their pieces. The exhibit will be on display at the art museum until June 1 before heading to The Washington Pavillion in Sioux Falls.
The exhibition will be on display at The Washington Pavillion from June 10 through Sept. 14, 2025. From there it will travel to the John A. Day Gallery at The University of South Dakota, Vermillion from Oct. 29 through Nov. 14, 2025. The exhibition will conclude at the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City from Dec. 13 to March 29, 2026.
“It’s a pleasure to have art displayed from all around the state.” said Erin Wohletz, an assistant professor of printmaking from the University of South Dakota, “We are so spread out it’s nice to be reminded we have an art community.”
