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A South Dakota Arts
Thanksgiving
By Pat Boyd, Executive Director, South Dakotans for
the Arts
This time of year, as the harvest is gathered in and the pace of our
rural state has slowed somewhat, we often pause to reflect on the many things
we, as South Dakotans, are uniquely thankful for. Among those things that make
life worth living here on the prairie is the impressive array of arts
opportunities we enjoy.
South Dakota rejoices in having a solid community of working artists who have chosen our state as their home. Their creative drive energizes our classrooms, our theaters and studios in towns across South Dakota. Those artists illustrate, in their daily lives, that success can be achieved in the arts right here. Many young artists leave the state to explore and expand their horizons, then return to discover their own artistic expression in their home state.
South Dakota can also be proud of the tradition of local volunteerism which is the foundation of the community arts movement. Arts councils are not just organizations, they are vital groups of concerned local residents who understand the value and impact of the arts on their towns and the people who live there. Without individuals willing to get involved, our state would not have the cultural advantages we share.
We can also be thankful for support of the arts, by companies, by individuals and by our state government. Volunteerism goes a long way toward success, but without funding, appreciation and validation in the form of programs and participation, the arts would wither in South Dakota. We are still working to widen the circle of support that helps the arts grow in our state, but we should all be grateful for those committed to maintaining our cultural growth.
Things are not perfect in the arts. We still have populations underserved by our programs, children who are not learning as well as they might with more arts opportunities, towns that miss out on touring performances and artists who struggle to make a living. But we can be thankful that people involved in the arts in South Dakota care about meeting those challenges and are determined to make things even better for the next generation.
Visit www.sdarts.org, the joint website of the South Dakota Arts Council and South Dakotans for the Arts to find out how YOU can boost the arts in SD.