Each Spring the American Art Awards board selects the 25 Best Galleries And Museums In America.
HighlightHollywood.com reported in 2016: “The impressive AAA board chooses only one museum or gallery per state per year. Their selections are based on years established, industry reputation, online buzz, location, size, socially relevant exhibits, motivational and educational programs, represented artists as well as artist, client and visitor references.”
American Art Awards: “We consider thousands of the most established art venues from Maine to Hawaii. This year we awarded several museums with historical significance of 100+ years, some with over 100,000 annual visitors, some specializing in American acquisitions and others foreign antiquities. We’ve also selected some of the most reputable art galleries which specialize in contemporary works. In addition, we chose a few art facilities and centers dedicated to exhibiting the struggle and triumph of minorities and making an impact on their communities with inspiring educational programs.”
Why did the American Art Awards select South Dakota Art Museum as Best Gallery or Museum in South Dakota this year?
American Art Awards: "Firstly, the reputation and structure is preeminent. The gallery designs and exhibitions are sleek and cohesive and contemporary and exciting and engaging and informative. The Native American Collection is a coveted rarity in its scope, quality and size. The 20th Century Plains Indian art, primarily the Dakota, Nakota and Lakota tribes, bring pride to the region. One thousand other objects also represent the creative spirit and culture of Native Americans, including tribes of Ojibwe (Anishinaabe), Navajo, Hopi and Pueblo. We are thrilled to name the South Dakota Art Museum as an American treasure and the Best Gallery or Museum in South Dakota, 2017."
ABOUT THE MUSEUM:
Since 1970, the South Dakota Art Museum in Brookings has been a place for people around the world to enjoy the artistic legacy of South Dakota in all its diversity. Rotating exhibits feature Harvey Dunn, Native American art, Marghab Linens and Paul Goble; as well as exhibits curated from regional, national and international artists.
The museum has more than 7,000 objects in its collection including paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, textiles, and ceramics. The museum store features jewelry, pottery, and original works of art by local and regional artists in addition to books on South Dakota history and culture.
The South Dakota Art Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). This accreditation recognizes the Museum’s commitment and demonstration of the highest professional standards for education, public service and collections care.
The museum’s mission statement: As stewards of the state’s art treasures, the South Dakota Art Museum collects, preserves and exhibits visual art to provide access and education, to foster appreciation of the visual arts for the people of South Dakota and its visitors.
LOCATION:
South Dakota Art Museum
On the South Dakota State University campus on Medary Ave at Harvey Dunn Street, next to the Campanile.
1036 Medary Ave., Brookings, SD 57007 605.688.5423
HOURS: Monday-Friday 10 AM – 5 PM / Saturday 10 AM – 4 PM / Sunday 12 PM – 4 PM
Closed Sundays January through March and all SD state holidays.
CURRENT EXHIBITS:
Between Order and Chaos: Nonobjective Abstractions
January 26 – May 21, 2017
This exhibition focuses on pure or “non-objective” abstractions within the permanent collection of the South Dakota Art Museum. Completely devoid of naturalistic depictions, these artworks take up as their subject matter the composition and creation of the artworks themselves. The works presented range in date from the early 1950s to today and have been collected by the museum since its founding in 1970. They represent only a fraction of the rich and diverse mixture of pure abstractions that the museum owns and cares for.
Women at Work: South Dakota Artists
March 7 – July 23, 2017
This exhibition continues the theme of “women at work” from previous exhibitions. It features 18 women artists who are currently working and living in South Dakota and was curated through an invitational process: Loy Allen, Diana Behl, Angela Behrends, Jenny Braig, Ceca Cooper, Denise DuBroy, Amy Fill, Jeannie French, Mary Groth, Amber Hansen, Liz Heeren, Connie Herring, Amy Jarding, Erica Merchant, Reina Okawa, Camille Riner, Patti Roberts-Pizzuto, and Anna Youngers.
Harvey Dunn: War Works from the Permanent Collection
March 31 – September 3, 2017
In honor of the 100 year anniversary of the U.S. entry into WWI on April 6, 2017, this exhibition features Harvey Dunn’s war imagery from the Permanent Collection of South Dakota Art Museum. It includes Attack, Battleground, The Return, Gunfire, Streetfighting, Crossing a Pontoon Bridge, (untitled) Red Cross, (untitled) WWI Soldier, Oliver Staggered Over and Entered Major Worsley's Quarters and the two new acquisitions of a WWI battlefield woodcut and the illustration, Alongside G.I. Joe All the Way.
HORSES: Illustrations by Paul Goble
April 7 – August 27, 2017
This exhibition features illustrations by Paul Goble containing images of horses. Books featured will include Lone Bull’s Horse Raid, The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, The Gift of the Sacred Dog, Death of the Iron Horse, The Great Race, Iktomi and the Buffalo Skull, Love Flute, Remaking the
Earth, and Dream Wolf.
The Horse Nation of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ
April 25 – August 20, 2017
Opening Reception and Horse Nation Honoring: April 27, 4:00 – 7:00pm
This exhibition is organized by The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School (Pine Ridge, SD), in partnership with artist Keith BraveHeart (Oglala Lakota). Original artworks from people of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Lakota, Dakota, Nakota) that are related to and inspired by the Šúŋka Wakȟáŋ Oyáte (Horse Nation) were collected through a community informed process, open call and/or invitation.
UPCOMING EXHIBITS:
HORSES: From the Permanent Collection
May 31 – September 24, 2017
This exhibition features artworks from the permanent collection of SDAM that contain horse imagery. It will provide multi-cultural perspectives, including works by Harvey Dunn, Albin Henning, Charles Hargens, Charles Greener, Oscar Howe, Arthur Amiotte, Robert Penn and Herman Red Elk, amongst others.
Tapun Sa Win
Curated by Dr. Craig Howe of the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies
August 29 – December 31, 2017
According to Lakota legend, long ago there was a beautiful young woman (Tapun Sa Win, or Red Cheek Woman) who married a star and went to live with him in the sky. Near the due date for the birth of her baby, she inadvertently created a hole in the sky through which she could see her relatives on earth. This made her lonesome so she braided a rope to descend to them. This exhibit divides the Tapun Sa Win narrative into seven passages which are interpreted by four types of artworks by contemporary Lakota artists: a two-dimensional artwork, a three-dimensional artwork, a poem, and a song.
Written in the Stars: Star Stories in the Illustrations of Paul Goble
September 1 - December 31, 2017
This exhibition features illustrations by Paul Goble from books that contain star stories from Plains Indian tribes. Books featured will include Beyond the Ridge, Crow Chief, Her Seven Brothers, Star Boy, and The Lost Children.
Skye Gilkerson
September 15, 2017 – January 20, 2018
Skye Gilkerson is a native of Brookings, SD, receiving an MFA in sculpture from Crankbook Academy of Art in 2009. She currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Gilkerson creates poignant conceptual projects across a range of media, including sculpture, installation, photography, film and collage. The endless horizon of the South Dakota landscape remains a continual influence on her work. This exhibition will focus on works especially tied to a contemplation of time and timelessness, place and placelessness, and the tension between the human and universal scale.
From Dusk to Dawn: Artworks from the Permanent Collection
October 3, 2017 – February 10, 2017
This exhibition celebrates the beauty of nighttime—from the setting to the rising of the sun—through artworks from our permanent collection.
Harvey Dunn: Night and Day
October 3, 2017 – February 10, 2018
This exhibition features pairings of paintings by Harvey Dunn, one work depicting a night scene and one work depicting a day scene. The paintings within the pairings relate to each other in subject matter and/or compositional strategies, revealing interesting connections and contrasts between the works.
Steve Bormes: Deep Sea Imaginarium
December 5, 2017 – April 7, 2018
Outsider artist Steve Bormes of Sioux Falls creates illuminated sculptures from objects found as close to home as local antique and thrift stores and as far away as Turkey. This collection of his bizarre, fictional “deep sea fish” that are lit from within will be installed in an intimate, dark, wonder-filled, aquarium-like, immersive environment… Bormes’s “deep-sea imaginarium.”
www.AmericanArtAwards.com annually awards 25 museums and galleries in Spring, and with their critique in Autumn, awards 300 artists (painters, photographers, sculptors and digital artists.).
ALL 25 BEST GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS, AND INFO ON ENTERING AMERICAN ART AWARDS, HERE: http://www.americanartawards.com/25-best-state-galleries-2017/
BEST IN PENNSYLVANIA -- JAMES A. MICHENER ART MUSEUM. "... 40,000 sq. ft.... world-class group of paintings... permanent collection of more than 2,800 objects... accredited world-class facility... diverse program of educational activities... more than 135,000 annual visitors..." http://www.michenerartmuseum.org/
BEST IN LOUISIANA -- NEWCOMB ART MUSEUM. "... legacy of education, social enterprise, and artistic experience. Presenting inspirin exhibitions and programs that engage communities... founded in 1886... recognizes the contributions of women to the fields of art and design...." http://newcombartmuseum.tulane.edu/
BEST IN ILLINOIS -- HILLIGOSS GALLERIES. "Chicago’s Premier Art Gallery for 20+ years. The two-story 8,500 sq. ft. gallery is the epitome of a well-oiled machine... perfect marriage of artist, collector and setting... original paintings by the world's finest living artists, as well as fine prints by historic and 20th century masters." http://www.hilligossgalleriesil.com/
BEST IN NEVADA -- THE METROPOLITAN GALLERY OF LAS VEGAS ART MUSEUM. "... over 20,000 sq. ft.... intellectual excellence and leadership... dedicated to raising awareness... promotes an understanding and appreciation of art by making accessible to the public fine art exhibitions, educational programs, and cultural events... local, regional and international artists... " http://mglv.org/
BEST IN KENTUCKY -- E&S GALLERY. "... professionalism, reputation, gallery space, exhibitions, artist roster and clientele... 11,000 sq. ft. gallery, custom framing and art publishing... African American art with an unmatched selection of artists, medium, subject matter, and genres. ... " http://www.eandsgallery.com/
BEST IN MISSISSIPPI -- OHR-O'KEEFE ART MUSEUM. "...just as Ohr (1857-1918) rose from devastating personal and professional loss to create an extraordinary body of work, so too the Ohr-O’Keefe has risen from Hurricane Katrina’s destruction... diverse cultural heritage of the Mississippi Gulf Coast... compelling exhibitions and educational experiences......" http://georgeohr.org/
BEST IN NEBRASKA -- KIECHEL FINE ART. "...few have the roster and esteem as Keichel... discerning eye... three story four gallery showplace... many of the top Midwestern Contemporary artists... " http://www.kiechelart.com/
BEST IN COLORADO -- COLORADO SPRINGS FINE ARTS CENTER. "132,000 sq. ft... one of the only multi-discipline arts institutions... For nearly 100 years, the top cultural attraction of the Pikes Peak region... world’s finest art... extraordinary visceral experiences..." http://www.csfineartscenter.org/
BEST IN SOUTH DAKOTA -- SOUTH DAKOTA ART MUSEUM. "Since 1970... artistic legacy of South Dakota in all its diversity. Harvey Dunn, Native American art, Marghab Linens... 7,000 objects in its collection..." http://www.sdstate.edu/south-dakota-art-museum/
BEST IN SOUTH CAROLINA -- MARY MARTIN GALLERY OF FINE ART. "... excellence and steady expansion... museum quality art including bronze and stone sculptures, original oil and acrylic paintings, extraordinary watercolors... number one tourist destination in America... on par with Beverly Hill’s Rodeo Drive and NY’s Fifth Avenue..." http://www.marymartinart.com/
BEST IN UTAH -- MEYER GALLERY. "... over 50 years, a contemporary art icon in Utah. The building (former First National Bank of Utah) is listed with the National Register of Historic Places and on the Park City Museum's Historic district tour. Featuring both representational and abstract works... " ttps://www.meyergallery.com/
BEST IN NEW MEXICO -- BLUE RAIN GALLERY. "...Santa Fe's exceptional exhibitor of all factions of art... pieces from noted glass artisans to bronze sculptures and wood sculptures to two-dimensional works, artisans contribute elegant to elemental, neo-traditional to transcendental, neo-tribal to contemporary Native American... " http://blueraingallery.com/
BEST IN MISSOURI -- UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI MUSEUM OF ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY. "...Stunning collections across a wide range of cultures... Greek, Roman, Near Eastern art works, ancient Egypt, Byzantium, Asian, African, Ancient Americas, and Oceanic cultures... important collections in European and American art from the fifteenth century to the present... " https://maa.missouri.edu/
BEST IN CALIFORNIA -- CODA GALLERY. "A Palm Dessert landmark for thirty years, this contemporary El Paseo gallery has a vast collection of paintings, photography, sculpture, glass, and ceramic works by a wide range of established, mid-career, and emerging artists..." http://www.codagallery.com/
BEST IN OREGON -- ROGER YOST GALLERY. "Located in a 1927 art deco tower in the heart of Downtown Salem, Oregon’s capital city... more than 7500 sq. ft.. of exhibit space featuring paintings and sculpture from Lithuania, The Czech Republic, Vietnam, France, Germany, Argentina, Russia, Spain, UK, Budapest and Hollywood. A second location coastal version in Newport..." http://www.rogeryostgallery.com/
BEST IN ARIZONA -- BENTLEY GALLERY. "For 30+ years, Bentley Gallery in Phoenix has been synonymous with contemporary painting and sculpture in the Southwestern U.S.... mid-career and museum-collected artists from the states and Europe, as well as ancient art and artifacts... Chinese bi and cong from the Neolithic period co-exist seamlessly with contemporary works..." http://www.bentleygallery.com/
BEST IN MAINE -- PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART. "Cultural heart of Portland... significant holdings of American, European, and contemporary art, as well as iconic works from Maine... a steadfast commitment to their community and region... their high level of attention to the complexity of art and history exemplifies respect for artwork and art makers..." http://www.portlandmuseum.org/
BEST IN CONNECTICUT -- BRUCE MUSEUM. "113 years... high on a hill overlooking Greenwich Harbor... nearly 15,000 objects: paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, photographs, multimedia compositions... accreditation from the American Association of Museums, an honor granted to fewer than 5% of all museums. Voted the best museum in Fairfield County... " https://brucemuseum.org/
BEST IN FLORIDA -- ART FUSION GALLERIES. "8,000 sq. ft.... in the heart of Miami’s Wynwood Art District... preeminent gallery in Miami for integrating the best of Emerging to Mid-Career Contemporary artists... represents over 1,000... " http://www.artfusiongalleries.com/
BEST IN INDIANA -- HAAN MANSION MUSEUM OF INDIANA ART. "Holds the most extensive Indiana art collection in the US, including paintings from the Hoosier Group and Brown County Art Colony. Specializing in major oils, over 100 artists are represented. Haan is a true find; a rare hospitable time-capsule cradling a precious past." http://haanmuseum.org/
BEST IN VIRGINIA -- WILLIAMSBURG ART GALLERY. "Located on Merchants Square along Duke of Gloucester Street in beautiful downtown Williamsburg, Virginia... Historic Triangle... a natural and inspiring home for art, dedicated to showcasing the beauty of the region as depicted by local as well as international artists, including exceptional work of Russian modern masters... a crossroads for art." http://www.wmbgartgallery.com/
BEST IN GEORGIA -- HATHAWAY CONTEMPORARY GALLERY. "A premier contemporary art gallery located on the Westside of Atlanta. They give space to the cutting-edge artists of today to express creative voice and explore societal issues... committed to building a supportive, sustaining community for the arts." http://www.hathawaygallery.com/
BEST IN MONTANA -- DANA GALLERY. "4000 sq. ft. of space, making it the largest contemporary art gallery in Montana. Excellent 20+ year reputation. They represent Montana and regional painters many of whom are internationally recognized..." http://danagallery.com/
BEST IN NEW JERSEY -- EVALYN DUNN GALLERY. "It is very rare to find a gallery so successful that it is approaching it’s 60th year... also features the finest 20th Century American and European art..." http://www.evalyndunnsgallery.com/
BEST IN HAWAII -- LIK LAHAINA, LIK WAIKIKI. "Peter Lik has 12 exceptional gallery locations and is the most successful photographer in the world... sold upwards of $500 million of artwork... The 2014 sale of his B&W photo titled “Phantom” for $6,500,000.00 is the highest sum ever paid in its genre. Lik’s works make up four of the top 20 most expensive photographs ever sold." http://www.lik.com/