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Follow the footsteps of Lewis and Clark across South Dakota
By Pat Boyd, Executive Director, South Dakotans for
the Arts
You will be hearing a great deal about Lewis and Clark this summer.
We commemorate this year as the bicentennial of the trek the fearless explorers
began through the Louisiana Purchase, an untamed wilderness as foreign to Lewis
and Clark’s party as the surface of the moon.
Much of that first summer was spent passing through our state, encountering for the first time the oceans of grass, the vast dome of sky and the indigenous peoples that define the Great Plains. The Lewis and Clark journals paint dramatic word pictures of the vistas they encountered—scenes still capturing the imaginations of South Dakota painters, writers and filmmakers today.
The commemoration of the Lewis and Clark exploration will make our state an exciting place to be this summer. A boon to those of us who may wish to take our family vacations only a couple of tankfuls away from home, the summer arts and cultural festivities around South Dakota fill the months ahead with colorful fun.
For a true tapestry of summer arts, check out the festivals held in parks around the state. From the regional arts fairs in Yankton and Brookings, Rapid City and Spearfish to an arts in the park day in your own hometown, you will find music and dance, along with excellent work by area visual artists. It is a great day-trip getaway with something for the whole family.
You will also find comedy and drama with summer stock theater, South Dakota style. Both the Black Hills Playhouse and the Prairie Repertory Theatre are respected, well-established companies providing acting experience for college and local young thespians as well as professionally-staged shows for South Dakota—and visiting—audiences. In addition, summer community theater performances can add to the fun of any trip around the state.
Pow wows and Native American art shows bring the mystery and ancient wisdom of the Plains Indian culture to life in South Dakota every summer. All of us, regardless of our immigrant heritage, can experience the color and excitement of tribal festivals, enhancing our appreciation of this vital part of the fabric of our state.
Plan your South Dakota arts and culture vacations today. You will find schedules and more information at www.TravelSD.com or visit www.sdarts.org , a joint website of South Dakotans for the Arts and the South Dakota Arts Council.