Arts South Dakota, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, enriches the lives of South Dakotans and their visitors, by advancing the arts through service, education and advocacy. South Dakota, as a state and a people, encourages the development of artistic talent and appreciation in all individuals and values the worth of creative expression to the quality of life of all who live in and visit the State and to the economic, social and educational growth of its communities. South Dakotans have opportunities to participate in the arts in their own communities and to experience the work of professional artists in their communities or regions. All South Dakota children have the opportunity to experience and participate in art forms that enhance life-long learning by expanding curiosity, creativity, team-building skills and self- worth. Arts South Dakota’s programming consists of several collaborative initiatives including the annual Arts Education Institute, the Governor’s Awards in the Arts, statewide arts conference, community network of arts organizations, publication of the state-wide arts magazine “Arts Alive,” correctional department arts program “ArtsCorr,” a national youth poetry competition “Poetry Out Loud,” and an Arts Initiative at the State Veterans Home. Arts South Dakota also maintains a website for dynamic communications of arts activities and announcements throughout South Dakota.

Arts South Dakota has three primary areas of focus: 1. Service to community arts councils, art organizations, and artists 2. Leadership and support of arts education 3. South Dakota's advocate for the arts on a statewide, community, and national level In order to accomplish our mission, we work to connect the many vibrant arts communities across the state with each other, with their state and local governments, and within their communities. Through actives such as a a statewide arts magazine, arts events calendar, conferences, webinars, arts educator institutes, gatherings, and amplifying the collective voice of the arts community at the state and national capitals. We also work to ensure that the arts are accessible and equitable by helping to bridge rural and urban areas, as well as across cultures.

Arts South Dakota’s capabilities consist of a dynamic Board of Directors from across the state. Members include a diverse group of arts leaders, advocates, and administrators. It is Arts South Dakota’s goal to have diversity in areas of gender, race, arts, business, political affiliation, and geographic location among its board of directors. We also have a nimble and capable staff spread across the state, who collectively have decades of experience in arts and support organizations. Our other capabilities are the artists and organizations we serve–bringing them together to help each other solve problems and collaborate with their stores of knowledge and experience. 

Arts South Dakota also works closely on a variety of programs with the South Dakota Arts Council, the state arts agency. This strong public / private partnership with the state arts council provides the strength and unified vision to lead our creative community in South Dakota.

In order to gauge our progress, we continually check-in with our constituents, to ensure that our programs are meeting their needs and helping them advance creativity in the state. We also work closely with the South Dakota Arts Council to collaborate on data collection, analyzing the economic and social impacts of the arts throughout the state.

As a young organization, we have successfully launched a number of important programs and expanded our capabilities quickly, expanding Arts South Dakota’s reach across the state, and across our constituent groups. 

To increase capacity for the future, in 2018 Arts South Dakota hired a third full-time employee, with the position of Community Development Director. The first major goal is to interface more with the Community Arts Councils, bringing them together as a group more often, helping with educational opportunities, and engaging them in advocacy training. We also plan to increase our communication channels by more directly targeting our messages to the constituencies, targeting city, state, and national leaders differently than the messages we send to our member organizations, artists, and community arts council constituents. Arts South Dakota continues to analyze all of our programs and messaging, and to work closely with our state partner, the South Dakota Arts Council, to improve our products and services.