ARTISTS A - G

Alden Stevens, Jane

Lone Surviving Tree From the Battle of Delville Wood, 2002, photograph, 20.5" x 24.25"

This black and white photograph is from Alden Stevens' series "Tears of Stone" which explores the question of whether or not people remember the millions who died during WWI. She uses a turn-of-the-century swing lens camera to create panoramic black and white images that are striking, lightly curved and distorted. 

Jane Alden Stevens is a highly respected photographic artist and educator. She won Individual Artist grants from the Ohio Arts Council in 1990 and 2002. Solo exhibitions of her work have been mounted at the ARC Gallery in Chicago, the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art in Ithaca, NY, and the Pittsburgh Filmmakers Gallery. She has exhibited extensively abroad, including in Finland, Ukraine, Belgium, Germany, and Brazil. Stevens’ photographs are included in the permanent collections of the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester, NY, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and the Museu da Imagem e do Som in São Paulo, Brazil. She is Professor Emerita of Fine Arts at the University of Cincinnati.

This piece was purchased from the Heart to Heart: Women in Conversation about War exhibit in 2002.

Alden Stevens, Jane

Vladslo German Military Cemetery, Belgium, 2002, photograph, 8" x 17.5"

This black and white photograph is from Alden Stevens' series "Tears of Stone" which explores the question of whether or not people remember the millions who died during WWI. She uses a turn-of-the-century swing lens camera to create panoramic black and white images that are striking, lightly curved and distorted. 

Jane Alden Stevens is a highly respected photographic artist and educator. She won Individual Artist grants from the Ohio Arts Council in 1990 and 2002. Solo exhibitions of her work have been mounted at the ARC Gallery in Chicago, the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art in Ithaca, NY, and the Pittsburgh Filmmakers Gallery. She has exhibited extensively abroad, including in Finland, Ukraine, Belgium, Germany, and Brazil. Stevens’ photographs are included in the permanent collections of the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester, NY, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and the Museu da Imagem e do Som in São Paulo, Brazil. She is Professor Emerita of Fine Arts at the University of Cincinnati.

This piece was purchased from the Heart to Heart: Women in Conversation about War exhibit in 2002.

Alderet, Mark

Burn Your Face and Hands, n.d., titanium, 14k gold plate, hematite, 5.25" x 3"

This decorative pin is a combination of titanium, gold and hematite and is inscribed with "Burn Your Face and Hands" on the lower left panel. It is also inscribed with "Face" and "Hands" on the interior iridescent blue/purple titanium triangular panel. The blue/purple triangular piece is also embossed around the edges with flame-like etchings.

This piece was purchased from the 1992 exhibition Glorious Adornment. 

Allen, Loy

Ripe, 1998, glass, sandstone base, 7" x 7" x 10"

This glass sculpture features a fig branch with four figs with accompanying leaves protruding vertically from a sandstone base and a fallen fig with two bumble bees. A self-employed flame worker since 1979, Allen creates exquisite art glass sculptures that depict plant and animal life. She employs inspiration that she gains from the Art Nouveau movement, the natural world and from the hills and plains of South Dakota. Fascinated with wild flowers, dragonflies, insects and wasp's nests, her goal is to create art that evokes the mystery and power of nature. Her pieces begin as clear or colored glass rods which she then heats in a propane flame, forming stems, petals and leaves that are compressed, stretched, tooled and welded together.

Allen lives and works in Hot Springs, SD. 

This piece was purchased in 1998 from Clearly South Dakota, an exhibit of regional glass artists.

Amiotte, Arthur

The Native American Image on Film, 1980, poster, 29" x 21"

The original design for the poster was a special commission from the American Film Institute, an agency of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. A limited edition of 300 copies of the original was printed with 100 copies distributed as publicity in the city of Washington, D.C. The poster was commissioned for the opening of the Native American Image on Film series, a month-long series of films portraying the Native American as perceived by non-Indian and Indian filmmakers since the advent of the motion picture industry in this century. 

Arthur Amiotte, an Oglala born in Pine Ridge, SD, is a prolific visual artist, retired educator, historian, writer, consultant, curator and lecturer. He studied with Oscar Howe and has advanced degrees in studio art and art education. Amiotte currently lives and works in Custer, SD. 

This piece was purchased in 1980.

Anderson, Lawrence

Badlands Buffalo with Big Macks 19/20, 1981, collograph, 18" x 24"

This collograph, printed on paper, is a contemporary perspective on a traditional midwestern subject (Buffalo) and a cultural icon, McDonalds. Collograph is a printmaking process. A plate is created by arranging and pasting materials onto a surface (collograph plate). Then ink is applied and transferred onto another surface (paper).  

Anderson serves as Chair of the Fine Arts Department and is a Professor of Visual Arts at Francis Marion University in Florence, SC. Professor Anderson was born in Canby, Minnesota.  He studied at the University of South Dakota, from which he earned his B. F. A. in 1973.

This piece was purchased in 1981 while the artist was visiting the University of South Dakota as a Visual Artist in Printmaking. 

Babbitt, Steve

Untitled, 1998, gelatin silver print, 7.75" x 11.5"

This black and white landscape photograph features the White Mountain range in the background, and was taken near Lone Pine, CA. The image was printed from a 6" x 9" negative and printed on a warm toned paper, giving it an overall warm tone. 

Babbitt is best known for his black and white photographs of western landscapes, his attempt to capture the essence of small towns and communities and their vanishing way of life. He has taught at Cabot College in Hayward, CA, The San Francisco Art Institute, CA, and the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota. He is currently a professor of photography at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD. The quality and detail of Babbitt's work has gained him a regional and national reputation. His photographs are in many collections including The Getty Museum, Malibu, CA, the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, Japan and the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris, France. He has also published a book titled "Main Street".

This piece was donated to the permanent collection in 1999 by the artist in honor of Ruth Brennan's (long time Director of the Rapid City Arts Council) retirement. 

Banasiak, John

Scenes from the Dreams of a Fortune Teller #145, 2006, polaroid transfer print, 21" x 17"

This piece is from the series Scenes from the Dreams of a Fortune Teller, an ongoing body of work currently made up of over 650 polaroid transfer prints. Banasiak creates scenes from purchased and found pieces in an attempt to "search for meaning and understanding".

In addition to creating dream-like scenes, he has produced many studies of places including Poland, Panama, Nicaragua, Cuba, Ecuador, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Jordan, China, Morocco, Hungary and New Zealand. Banasiak has received numerous research grants, fellowship awards, and national and international juror's awards throughout his career. He currently works as a Professor of Photography at The University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD.

This piece was purchased in 2006 from the Endless Possibilities: South Dakota Governor's Second Biennial Art Exhibition.

Baumgartner, Duane

Chinese Dragon, 1968, watercolor and silver leaf, 32" x 24"

This watercolor, which incorporates silver leaf accents, depicts a Chinese dragon. Baumgartner often works with mixed media while exploring contemporary fantasy images.

Baumgartner has been a devoted member of the arts community for over 35 years, serving as a charter member of the Rapid City Arts Council. He has taught art at the University of North Dakota, Lemar State Collage of Technology and in the Rapid City school system. 

This piece was a gift from the artist in 1978. 

Behrends, Angela

Will, 2014, ceramic, nails, tobacco stain, beeswax, 6.5" x 13"

"Will is a determination and a certainty from nature. Clay is earth. Nails are metal from the earth. Tobacco is a gift from the plants. Beeswax is a gift from insects. The bison reminds me to respect what I have been given and to be grateful for my abundance. By fusing the gift of these natural materials together, I remind viewers of the indomitable will at the heart of nature."   --Angela Behrends

Behrends is a mixed-media sculptor and installation artist. Her work focuses on materials and subjects from the natural world which is a reminder that we are a part of nature rather than above it or separate from it. She received her MFA in Sculpture from the University of Nebraska Lincoln and her BA at the University of Minnesota Morris. Currently Behrends teaches foundation art and design at Dakota State University and lives in Madison, SD.

This piece was purchased with funds from the South Dakota Arts Council grant during the Governor’s 6th Biennial Art Exhibition in 2015. 

Benson, Chris

Girl with Heart, n.d., gelatin silver print, 14" x 17"

This black and white gelation silver print photograph was taken in California. The artist's sister posed for the photo on an oil-slick beach. 

Following art school Chris served as photo editor of the Denver based national magazine New Mobility, where she was drawn to photographing models and subjects surrounding the fashion industry. Working with makeup artists and lighting crews, she created photographs that are full of drama and humor. Her attempt was to exhibit the true character of the individual. “My art is about being funny and interesting,” Benson states, “if people feel more, that is o.k. too.” In 1995 Chris returned to Rapid City to engage in commercial work and portraiture. Most of Chris’s photography focuses on fashion and / or portraiture.

This piece was donated to the permanent collection in 1999 by the artist in honor of Ruth Brennan's, long time Director of the Rapid City Arts Council, retirement. 

Big Elk, Robert

Corn Bowl, n.d., ceramic, 17" diameter x 6"

This hand-built, unglazed ceramic bowl (designed using the coil method) was designed to hold corn and is a combination of old and new techniques. Big Elk studied under renowned Hopi Indian potter, Otellie Loloma where he learned traditional coil, slab and handwork. He spent much of his career visiting and researching pottery and the arts of tribes from the Southwest, Plains, Northeast, Northwest and California. 

Big Elk is of Omaha and Sioux descent. His works have been on display in 41 museums, colleges and universities as well as the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. 

This piece was purchased from Prairie Edge Gallery in 2001. 

Bodogaard, Grete (1946-2014)

Early Mermaids, n.d., weaving, 31" x 29"

This woven tapestry features three fish-like mermaids swimming underwater, as indicated by the rich and varied shades of blue. 

Grete was born in Bodo, Norway where she first began studying textiles. She immigrated to the United States from Norway in 1969. Her weavings have been commissioned throughout the Midwest, including St. Michael’s Church in Sioux Falls and Rapid City Regional hospital. Her work has been in exhibitions around the world. She was actively involved in teaching in the South Dakota school system as part of the Artists in the Schools program. 

This piece was purchased from the artist's solo exhibition at the Dahl Arts Center in 1995.

BraveHeart, Keith

Conquering Bear Sacrifice, n.d., acrylic and mixed media on paper, 22.5" x 18.5"

Keith BraveHeart's work straddles two worlds - the contemporary world of present day and the ancient Lakota world of his ancestors.  This piece is a tribute by the artist to Chief Conquering Bear who was killed in 1854 in response to tensions over a slaughtered cow. The central image of this piece, an historical photograph of Chief Conquering Bear, was originally in black and white but BraveHeart wanted to interpret it in color as a way of giving the piece more emotion.

BraveHeart graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Sante Fe, NM with a BFS in Studio Arts in 2006. He is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux. His father is Oglala Lakota Sioux from Medicine Root Creek in Kyle, South Dakota and his mother is Isleta Pueblo from New Mexico. He spent much of his life between South Dakota and New Mexico. 

This piece was donated by Carolyn Fassi who purchased it from the artist's emerging artist exhibit at the Dahl Arts Center. 

BraveHeart, Keith

Unci's Last Dollar, 2010, acrylic with collage on canvas panel, 24" x 21"

This piece explores Lakota contemporary issues but is also a very personal piece for the artist. While working on this piece, BraveHeart's Unci (Lakota term for grandmother) became ill. While visiting her in the hospital, "...she gave me that dollar. She really cared about her grandkids. I cut it up and put it in the painting, so that was actually Unci's last dollar." The piece also deals with issues of religion and can be interpreted as a commentary on gambling. 

BraveHeart graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Sante Fe, NM with a BFS in Studio Arts in 2006. He is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux. His father is Oglala Lakota Sioux from Medicine Root Creek in Kyle, South Dakota and his mother is Isleta Pueblo from New Mexico. He spent much of his life between South Dakota and New Mexico. 

This piece was purchased from The South Dakota Governor's Fourth Biennial Art Exhibition, Endless Visions.

Broer, Roger

Here to Scare...the Corn, 2014, monoprint, 23" x 29"

Broer is a master of monotype printmaking, a technique that involves painting on a flat surface and then transferring that painting onto paper, either with the help of a printing press, or as in Broer’s case, a flat-sided hand tool that is used to apply pressure to the surface and thereby transfer the paint to paper. The technique requires a certain energy and decisive hand that quickly commits paint to surface and results in conveying that immediate energy and life to the subject, an energy that somehow remains intact with the finish artwork.
 
Broer was born in Omaha, NE in 1947 to mixed Native American and white parents. He was adopted and raised by Ludwig and Frieda Broer, a traditional German family from Randolph, NE. He received his BA, Extended Fine Arts from Eastern Montana College and his MA from Central Washington University. Throughout his career Broer has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibits. He has received over 50 awards in national shows. Roger lives and works in Hill City, SD.
 
This piece was purchased from the artist in 2014. It won 1st place at the Northern Plains Indian Art Market, Printmaking division, in 2014. 

Butler, James

From B-N to SD/varient #I, n.d., lithograph, 21.5" x 14.5"

From the series Inside/Out, each of the four varients depicts the transition between an interior still life to an enigmatic landscape. Gradually, the image moves from a table setting to a ghostly landscape, with the floating vessel still prominent in the foreground of each piece in the series. 

Varient #1 began as a drawing on stone, printed as a neutral gray on edition paper. From there, the next three in the series were created by reworking (some deletion and much addition) of the original drawing and printed again in soft, transparent colors. In addition to stone, Butler used aluminum plates. Butler used 8 color plates for each of the four varients. 

Born in 1945, Butler has been a part of numerous group and solo exhibitions nationally. His work is part of several prominent collections including Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Brooklyn Museum, NY; Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA; and the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.  He is also the recipient of numerous awards. Butler lives and works in Bloomington, IL.

Butler, James

From B-N to SD/varient #II, n.d., lithograph, 21.5" x 14.5"

From the series Inside/Out, each of the four varients depicts the transition between an interior still life to an enigmatic landscape. Gradually, the image moves from a table setting to a ghostly landscape, with the floating vessel still prominent in the foreground of each piece in the series. 

Varient #2 was started by printing the stone image from Varient #1 in neutral gray and then reworked, moving the horizon line, "approaching the suggestion of a landscape". A mirror in the background helps to promote the notion of a widow or exterior landscape.

Born in 1945, Butler has been a part of numerous group and solo exhibitions nationally. His work is part of several prominent collections including Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Brooklyn Museum, NY; Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA; and the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.  He is also the recipient of numerous awards. Butler lives and works in Bloomington, IL.

Butler, James

From B-N to SD/varient #III, n.d., lithograph, 21.5" x 14.5"

From the series Inside/Out, each of the four varients depicts the transition between an interior still life to an enigmatic landscape. Gradually, the image moves from a table setting to a ghostly landscape, with the floating vessel still prominent in the foreground of each piece in the series. 

Varient #3 also began with the neutral gray from the initial stone drawing but further emphasizes the move from interior to exterior, with the landscape in the background being much more prominent than in the first two varients.

Born in 1945, Butler has been a part of numerous group and solo exhibitions nationally. His work is part of several prominent collections including Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Brooklyn Museum, NY; Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA; and the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.  He is also the recipient of numerous awards. Butler lives and works in Bloomington, IL.

Butler, James

From B-N to SD/ varient #IV, n.d., lithograph, 21.5" x 14.5"

From the series Inside/Out, each of the four varients depicts the transition between an interior still life to an enigmatic landscape. Gradually, the image moves from a table setting to a ghostly landscape, with the floating vessel still prominent in the foreground of each piece in the series. 

In the final piece from the series, Varient #IV has moved the viewer almost entirely from the inside still life to the outside landscape. The only remnant from the inside scene is the pot in the foreground, grounding us to the theme of moving from an interior scene to a vast outdoor landscape. 

Born in 1945, Butler has been a part of numerous group and solo exhibitions nationally. His work is part of several prominent collections including Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Brooklyn Museum, NY; Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA; and the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.  He is also the recipient of numerous awards. Butler lives and works in Bloomington, IL.

Cardillo, Rimer (1944- )

Avispa (Wasp) 13/150, 1978-79, collograph, embossing, intaglio, 13.25" x 19"

From the series Sublime Orfebreria (Sublime Jewelry) series, Wasp is a mixed-media piece incorporating a variety of materials and techniques. Cardillo's work explores the relationship between environment, culture and the preservation of both. 

Born in Uruguay in 1944, Cardillo is an internationally recognized graphic artist. He received his MFA from the National School of Fine Arts in Uruguay in 1968 and studied in Germany at the Weissenssee School of Art and Architecture in Berlin and the Leipzig School of Graphic Arts. His work has been collected around the world including the Museum of Modern Art, NY; Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo, NY; Chicago Art Institute; and museums in Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia and Norway. He has had numerous solo and group exhibitions as well as won a number of awards and fellowships. Cardillo currently resides in New York.

Chagall, Marc (1887-1985)

Couple en Ochre (Lovers in Ocre), 1952, lithograph on paper, 24" x 28"

This piece was originally commissioned by the New York City World's Fair but the design was refused. 

Marc Chagall is considered to be one of the most successful and important graphic artists of the twentieth century. A true pioneer of modern art, he incorporated the techniques of Cubism, symbolism and surrealism into virtually every artistic medium, including painting, book illustration, stained glass, stage sets, ceramics, tapestries and fine art prints. Born and raised in the small Russian village of Vitebsk, Chagall’s first formal training began in St. Petersburg. He next moved to Paris to attend the La Palette Art Academy. After a brief stay in France, Marc returned to his native Russia to establish the Distinguished Vitebsk Arts College. He then continued his career in Berin, Paris, Moscow, Berlin, New York, and finally Saint-Paul-De-Vence where he died in 1985.

This piece was gifted to the Rapid City Arts Council by Duane Baumgartner in 1978. 

Chin-sheng, Chang (1946- )

Bird Perched on Plum Branch, 1978, watercolor, 52.5" x 15.5"

Chang Chin-sheng was born in 1946. In his youth, he was influenced by his mother who had mastered the art of Chinese opera facial painting. Most artists of traditional Chinese painting specialize in one type of painting, either birds-and-flowers, people or landscapes but Chang Chin-sheng is proficient in all forms. 
​
This piece was a gift from the artist in 1979 during the artist's solo exhibition, Classical Chinese Watercolors, at the Dahl Arts Center. 

Detail from scroll

Colescott, Warrington W. (1921- )

The Hunt: Last Day's Drive 5/75, n.d., etching, 22.25" x 30"

From "The Hunt" series, Last Day's Drive depicts... Warrington's work blends printmaking techniques into a single image. To create this piece he uses color soft-ground etching, aquatint using spit bite, with relief rolls through stencils plate. His subject matter is drawn from pop culture references and usually depicts the human form in narrative work. His work deals with morals and is often satirical.  

Colescott was born in Oakland California in 1921. He earned both his B.A. and M.A. from the University of California Berkeley. He later received the Guggenheim fellowship, Fulbright Scholarship and a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship. Colescott accepted a teaching position at the University of Wisconsin where he retired. His work has been collected at various institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, NY; Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England; Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Art Institute of Chicago; Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; and the Whitney Museum of American Art in NY. Colescott lives and works in Hollandale, Wisconsin.

This piece was purchased (with several other prints by different artists) through the University of South Dakota’s Lloyd Menard workshop in 1981.

Conner, Sue

Pot with Antler and Rebar Tripod Stand, n.d., ceramic and mixed media, 28" x 28" x 59"

Sue Connor's love of clay began in the late 70s after taking lessons from local potter Gayle Keeney-Sharps who became her mentor. Conner's formal introduction to ceramics came when she apprenticed for two years at Keeney-Sharps' Big Horn Studio. Conner has been primarily hand building for the past 25 years. Conner says her "work reflects my 'earth connection' and intense interest in the past, which, I believe, created the present and future; the cultural root material.' Conner also believes that mythology and legend are entwined with the creative process, and continues to be so today. Conner's pieces are her memories of the earth, and one day she hopes they may be the artifact that will spur inquiry, inspiring someone to seek their own ancestral memories. 

This piece was purchased in 1999 from the Dakota Artists Guild exhibition.

Dali, Salvador (1904 - 1989)

Caballero (The Cowboy) 90/125, 1968, color lithograph, 42" x 30"

This 10 color lithograph is printed on Arches paper and is 90 of 125 edition.

Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dali, better know as Salvador Dali, was an important and prominent Spanish surrealist painter, best known for some of his quirky and bizarre surrealist paintings such as The Persistence of Memory which features melting clocks in a meek landscape. Though best known for his surrealist work, Dali worked in a variety of styles and mediums including photography, sculpture, drawing and lithography. He also had an amazing mustache. 

This piece was gifted to the Rapid City Arts Council by Johanna Meier in 2014.

Daley-Mathieu, Sue Ann

And Then There Were None II 8/15, 1989, intaglio, thread, 23.5" x 17"

And Then There Were None II is from a series about a women's group that the artist was a part of in Mitchell, SD. The series traced the group from the beginning to the end. And Then There Were None II depicts the final meeting as the women in the group went their separate ways. Each chair represents the different personalities in the group; the teapot, a reoccurring image in the series, represents the physical and the spiritual nourishing that happened in the group. Each colored cup represents the lessons learned and something for each member to take with them on their new journeys. 

Daley-Mathieu worked for 20 years teaching studio arts at the college level in South Dakota, California, Montana, and four years in Japan. She received her B.F.A from the Minneapolis College of Art and her M.F.A. from the University of South Dakota. She currently works as a 6th grade special education teacher in Minnesota. 

This piece was purchased in 1990 from the exhibit Printmakers: Margo Kren and Sue Ann Daley-Mathieu. The exhibit was then traveled around the state for a year as part of the state touring program. 

Du Broy, Denise

The Canyon, 2003, oil on Yupo, 27" x 41" 

This painting was part of a series inspired by the red rock canyon areas near the artist's buffalo ranch in the Southern Black Hills. Like many of Denise's paintings during that time period, it is a landscape-based abstraction that combines several views and experiences with different perspectives. The line drawings are etched with large construction nails. The oil paints are rubbed on in layers creating a transparent effect that allows drawn lines to show through.

Du Broy was born and raised in California. She received her BA from the University of California at Santa Cruz. In the mid 70s, she moved to San Francisco to pursue post-graduate work in ceramics at San Francisco Art institute. She eventually moved to Santa Monica and began studying painting and teaching art at Crossroads High School. After 12 years there, Denise and her husband moved their family to the Black Hills of South Dakota where they bought a cattle ranch, built an art studio and converted the ranch to buffalo. Denise has been a professional painter since 1986. In 2015, she took over the job of Curator for the Rapid City Arts Council at the Dahl Arts Center.

This piece was purchased in 2004 from the exhibit From the Ground Up, an exhibit featuring paintings by Denise Du Broy and ceramics by Steve Schrepferman.

Eng, John

Cedar Sage, n.d., wood carving, 7" x 6" x 14"

The title, Cedar Sage, references the material used. The materials used in Eng's sculptures were found in the Black Hills and foothills. Each piece of wood was carefully selected for lines and interest that would help to suggest an idea and direct the process.

A native of South Dakota, John Eng lived and worked in the Black Hills until he passed away in 1974. Eng exhibited in numerous regional and national art competitions including the Cooperstown Annual Art Exhibition, Cooperstown, NY; El Camino Annual Art Show, Pismo Beach, CA; and the Wind River Valley Annual Exhibit in Dubois, WY. He received first prize in each of these exhibits. 

This piece was gifted to the Rapid City Arts Council by the late artist's wife, Marian Eng. 

Eng, John

Making Lefse, n.d., wood carving, 4" x 7" x 12"

The materials used in Eng's sculptures were found in the Black Hills and foothills. Each piece of wood was carefully selected for lines and interest that would help to suggest an idea and direct the process.

A native of South Dakota, John Eng lived and worked in the Black Hills until he passed away in 1974. Eng exhibited in numerous regional and national art competitions including the Cooperstown Annual Art Exhibition, Cooperstown, NY; El Camino Annual Art Show, Pismo Beach, CA; and the Wind River Valley Annual Exhibit in Dubois, WY. He received first prize in each of these exhibits. 

This piece was gifted to the Rapid City Arts Council by the late artist's wife, Marian Eng.

Eng, John

The Disciple, n.d., wood carving,  8" x 11" x 15"

The materials used in Eng's sculptures were found in the Black Hills and foothills. Each piece of wood was carefully selected for lines and interest that would help to suggest an idea and direct the process.

A native of South Dakota, John Eng lived and worked in the Black Hills until he passed away in 1974. Eng exhibited in numerous regional and national art competitions including the Cooperstown Annual Art Exhibition, Cooperstown, NY; El Camino Annual Art Show, Pismo Beach, CA; and the Wind River Valley Annual Exhibit in Dubois, WY. He received first prize in each of these exhibits. 

This piece was gifted to the Rapid City Arts Council by the late artist's wife, Marian Eng.

Erickson, Helen

Untitled, n.d., mixed media, 15" x 20"

This piece was gifted to the Rapid City Arts Council by Jan Wilson in 2001. 

Espinosa, Ina Mae

Parfleche Bag, n.d., mixed media, 16" x 13" x 4"

Parfleche is a french term for rawhide, typically buffalo skin, that is stretched, dried and free of hair. The hides were traditionally used to make storage containers often storing food and belongings. Parfleche Bag, created by Ina Mae Espinosa, was then painted to reflect the artist's family identity and spiritual beliefs. 

Ina Mae is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe and was raised on the Pine Ridge reservation. Before becoming interested in parfleche Espinosa worked with beads and made most of her functional items for her family. In 1990 she entered her first show. 

This piece was purchased with endowment funds from a three person exhibit called Parfleche: The Cultural Carry-All. 

Forrette, Candace

Paraclete, 2004, clay (stoneware, copper and biotite), 24" x 24" x 3"

The process itself is at the center of Forrette’s artwork; “the best pieces are a result of working with my ideas while ‘listening’ to what the material suggests.” The pieces she creates are a push and pull between wanting to control and giving up control in the process. Specifically, using the smoke and wood fire processes seen in Meditation/Reflection, Forrette “coaxes the end result, but in the end, the firing presents me with something of its own—something I didn’t expect…”

Forrette grew up in South Dakota. She traveled and studied art in a number of places before earning her degrees from the Art Institute of Boston and Utah State University. In 1992, she moved to Billings, MT with her family. Forrette has taught at Montana State University Billings and has shown her work in venues throughout the region. She continues her studio work and serves as Executive Director of a small nonprofit in Billings. 

This piece was donated by the artist after the close of her exhibit, Meditation/Reflection in 2016.

Freeman, Jeff

Big Trouble in Rift Valley, 2002, oil on canvas,  50" x 69"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. 

Freeman, Jeff

Changing Monument Series:  Entering the River, 1991, mixed media, 23.5" x 25" x 6"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. 

Freeman, Jeff

Changing Monument Series: Heat Walk Polka, 1992, mixed media, 76" x 42" x 10"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. 

Freeman, Jeff

Dancing with Mermaids, 2007, india ink, graphite, latex paint, white-out on paper, 7.5" x 10.25"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. 

Freeman, Jeff

Decline of Man: No. 1, 2007, india ink, graphite, latex paint, white-out on paper, 7.5" x 10.25"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. 

Freeman, Jeff

Decline of Man: No. 2, 2007,  india ink, graphite, latex paint, white-out on paper, 7.5" x 10.25"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. 

Freeman, Jeff

Decline of Man: No. 3, 2007, india ink, graphite, latex paint, white-out on paper, 7.5" x 10.25"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. 

Freeman, Jeff

Decline of Man: No. 4, 2007, india ink, graphite, latex paint, white-out on paper, 7.5" x 10.25"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. 

Freeman, Jeff

Decline of Man: No. 5, 2007, india ink, graphite, latex paint, white-out on paper, 7.5" x 10.25"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. 

Freeman, Jeff

Decline of Man: No. 6, 2007, india ink, graphite, latex paint, white-out on paper, 7.5" x 10.25"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. 

Freeman, Jeff

Decline of Man: Adventures in the Gerbil Hutch of Your Mind: No. 1, 2007, india ink, graphite, latex paint, white-out on paper, 7.5" x 10.25"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. 

Freeman, Jeff

Decline of Man: Adventures in the Gerbil Hutch of Your Mind: No. 2, 2007, india ink, graphite, latex paint, white-out on paper, 7.5" x 10.25"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. ​

Freeman, Jeff

Homage to the Open Door Policy, 2007, india ink, graphite, latex paint, white-out on paper, 7.5" x 10.25"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. ​ 

Freeman, Jeff

Larval Headlands, 2002, oil on canvas,  48" x 34"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013.

Freeman, Jeff

Last Tango in Omaha, 2007, india ink, graphite, latex paint, white-out on paper, 7.5" x 10.25"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. ​

Freeman, Jeff

Obsessive-Compulsive Opera with 3 Sleeping Karma Dogs, 2007, oil on Arches,  22" x 30"

Much of my work has to do with inventing forms and symbols that have a type of spiritual/emotional resonance, found by intuition and trial and error. I look for images and symbolic forms that serve as a catalyst to both myself and (hopefully) the viewer. It is my goal to create work that is unified and harmonious, where the whole (the meaning) is greater than the sum of its parts (the form).   -- Jeff Freeman

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. ​

Freeman, Jeff

Ritual Path: The Aztec Turtle Tango, 2002, oil on Arches,  30" x 22"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. ​ 

Freeman, Jeff

Still Life with Brown Beans: Premonition of War, n.d., oil on canvas,  52" x 39"

Jeff Freeman was born in Bismarck, ND, and was raised in Mandan, ND. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled as an art student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead, receiving his BS degree in June of 1970. Following graduation, he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, receiving the MA degree in 1972. He enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September of 1977. Freeman joined the faculty of the Art Department at the University of South Dakota in the Fall Semester of 1980, teaching Painting on all levels from beginning through graduate level. He also has taught Drawing, Design, and Graduate Seminars on Contemporary Art Issues and Criticism. He retired from teaching in 2011. He continues to live in Vermillion, where he makes art, cooks some, reads as much as he has time for, drinks coffee, takes long drives in the country, and writes.

This piece, along with 17 others, was donated to the RCAC permanent collection by the artist in 2013. ​ 

French, Abbie ​(1859 - 1936)

Man and Cart, n.d., oil on canvas, 14" x 11"

Abbie French, younger sister of Grace French, is much less well-known than her sister. Abbie and Grace lived in a small house in Rapid City, SD where they taught classes in technical drawing and painting. For those that could not afford lessons, the French sisters would regularly make trades so that art was accessible to anyone interested in learning. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Abbie ​ ​(1859 - 1936)

Turner's Slave Ship, n.d., oil on canvas, 20" x 26"

Abbie French, younger sister of Grace French, is much less well-known than her sister. Abbie and Grace lived in a small house in Rapid City, SD where they taught classes in technical drawing and painting. For those that could not afford lessons, the French sisters would regularly make trades so that art was accessible to anyone interested in learning. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

Badlands, SD, n.d., oil on canvas board, 13" x 18.75"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.
​
Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

By Chicag River, n.d., watercolor, 9.5" x 13.5"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.
​
Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

Cactus Flower, n.d., oil on paper, 27" x 31.25"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.
​
Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace + Abbie ​(1858 - 1942)

Cold Spring, n.d., oil on canvas, 32" x 24"

Grace and her sister Abbie were very close, living together and offering drawing and painting lessons out of their home to those who wanted to learn. For those who could not pay, Grace and Abbie would trade food and services as compensation for art lessons. It is no surprise that the sisters would also occasionally collaborate on their artwork. This is the only piece in our collection that shows the collaboration between the French sisters. 

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.

​Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes.
 
The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

Dark Canyon, n.d., oil on canvas, 20" x 16"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.
​
Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

Florman Flume, n.d., oil on canvas, 28" x 20"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.
​
Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

Lilacs, n.d., oil on canvas, 20.25" x 16"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.
​
Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

Lime Creek, n.d., oil on canvas, 32" x 22"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.
​
Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

Mouth of the Siene, n.d., oil on canvas, 30" x 23"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.
​
Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

​The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

October, n.d., oil on board

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.

Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

Pines and Hills, n.d., watercolor, 7" x 13"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.

Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

Pond in the Woods, n.d., oil on canvas, 34" x 43"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.

Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

Rapid River, n.d., oil on canvas, 32" x 22"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.
​
Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace (1858 - 1942)

Rapid River (small), n.d., oil pastel on paper, ​8" x 10"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.
​
Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. ​

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

Volunteers of 1792 in the French Revolution, n.d., oil on canvas, 16" x 20"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.
​
Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

Wooded Hillside, n.d., oil on canvas, 30" x 24"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.
​
Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

French, Grace ​(1858 - 1942)

Wooded Scene, n.d., oil on canvas, 30.5" x 22"

Grace received rigorous background training in technical drawing and free-hand sketching. She pursued this technique, making preliminary foundation drawings as precursors to her more finished watercolor and oil paintings. Grace's style of drawing and painting was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists of her time. Her classical training can be seen in her landscape paintings which indicate a strong sense of composition and balance. They also are quite romantic and soft in their approach. Grace was hired to paint many portraits during her career as an artist. She was a very versatile painter, capable of comfortably moving from the subject of still-life to portraiture to landscape. It appears that Grace seemed to prefer using small brushes and thinner paint (showing the canvas weave underneath), sometimes applying varnish and sometimes not. She frequently will do a copy from another artist whose name is mentioned on the front.

Grace Ann French, born in 1858, grew up in New Hampshire. She studied in the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She came to South Dakota in 1885 with her mother Sara and sister Abbie.  She taught briefly at Black Hills College in Hot Springs, writing standards for normal school art training, and, with her sister Abbie, instructed amateurs and serious students in painting and drawing out of her home for more than 50 years. Grace is credited with being the first resident landscape painter in South Dakota and is best known for her beautiful scenes painted en plein air of Black Hills streams, mountainsides and townscapes. 

The Grace and Abbie French Collection was donated to our permanent collection in 1974 by the Miser Family. 

Gerstacker, Heidi

Corsage Pin #3, n.d., silver, 2.5" x 2"

Corsage Pin #3 is a silver flower bud, intended to be worn on a jacket lapel.
The Corsage Series of brooches, pins and stickpins were created in the early to mid 1990s. The series was influenced by the many uses of flowers as worn during important occasions. Gerstacker's inspirations for Corsage Pin #3 include the lotus motif found in ancient Egyptian art and jewelry, the polished geometry of Bauhaus metal sculptor/designer Marianne Brandt, the pure abstract paintings by Piet Mondrian and the jewelry design of Elsa Peretti. Using an all-metal collage “cut and paste” technique, Gerstacker draws lines on metal and paper, then forms, files, saws, solders and assembles the pieces into new shapes, creating a relief referencing, in this case, a flower. In this piece and all her work, Gerstacker considers light, shadows and movement. She strives for clean lines and a brevity of visual information using a purposefully limited palette of materials, textures and colors. The final piece is a distillation of minimal material for maximal effect.

Heidi Gerstacker is a Houston-based jeweler. She received her master’s of fine arts in jewelry and metalsmithing in 1991 from the University of Houston. Gerstacker has received international attention for her work, which incorporates geometric forms from nature. She is also a conservator of metals for the Western Association for Art Conservation in Texas.
 
This piece was obtained through a purchase award in 1992 during the Glorious Adornment exhibit. 

Gikow, Ruth (1915 - 1982)

The Girl in the Orange Pants, 1960, oil on canvas, 30" x 18"

Gikow dabbled in many visual arts mediums but is most well known for her paintings. Despite the expressionist and abstract expressionist movement that was going on around her, Gikow remained grounded in reality, particularly with her figural paintings. Most of her figural drawings were done from memory and not models. Her work in the 1960s and 70s reflected the social and political upheaval at the time including civil rights and the Vietnam war.    

Gikow was born in the Ukraine in 1915. As a child she moved to New York with her family and later she pursued a career the arts. As part of the WPA's Federal Arts Project, Gikow was commissioned to work on murals around New York. Her work is directly influenced and inspired by Mexican muralists Jose Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera. Her work is included in the permanent collections of major American museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum.

This piece was gifted to the Rapid City Arts Council in 2000 in honor of Denny and Elva Bram. It was purchased from the estate of the artist upon her death. 

Gikow, Ruth ​ (1915 - 1982)

The Three Pedestrians, 1963, oil on canvas, 36" x 20"

Gikow dabbled in many visual arts mediums but is most well known for her paintings. Despite the expressionist and abstract expressionist movement that was going on around her, Gikow remained grounded in reality, particularly with her figural paintings. Most of her figural drawings were done from memory and not models. Her work in the 1960s and 70s reflected the social and political upheaval at the time including civil rights and the Vietnam war.

Gikow was born in the Ukraine in 1915. As a child she moved to New York with her family and later she pursued a career the arts. As part of the WPA's Federal Arts Project, Gikow was commissioned to work on murals around New York. Her work is directly influenced and inspired by Mexican muralists Jose Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera. Her work is included in the permanent collections of major American museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum.

This piece was gifted to the Rapid City Arts Council in 2000 in honor of Denny and Elva Bram. It was purchased from the estate of the artist upon her death.

Gorder, Luke

I Have the Conch, 2016, oil on canvas, 48" x 57"

Luke Gorder’s current work draws on collected imagery from a variety of sources that he then collages into references for large-scale narrative oil paintings. This work represents a tension between the artist’s observation of the natural world and his desire to inject it with a sense of “recklessness and mystery.” The interaction between human and animal, perceived and arbitrary color and landscape versus abstraction represents the struggle to reconnect with primordial nature.

“Painting itself is a paradox, because it welcomes the viewer to take part in an ‘unreality’, so it is my hope to create some sort of equilibrium so that the viewer will want to inject the painting with their own reality. In short, I want to avoid being too literal with a narrative so that the viewer gets to be involved in the process. I use animals in my paintings because they are loaded with connotations.” 

​Luke Gorder earned his BFA from the University of Wyoming in 2008 and an education degree from Black Hills State University in 2012. He currently teaches drawing and painting at Central High School in Rapid City, SD.

Green, Jim

Marsh Song (18/20), 2013, bronze, 22" x 6.75"

As a bronze sculptor, Jim Green uses clay as his base medium to bring the subjects that he loves within reach of his audience. In his sculpture, Jim conveys a message of conservation and his love of nature. Balance, proportion, and subtle movement are key elements that provoke an emotional response to suggest a story as individual as the person who sees it.

Jim is primarily a bronze sculptor although he has worked as a draftsman, machinist, steel fabricator, sign man, neon bender, foundry man, and mold maker. Experiences as an artist started early for him learning from his father, a talented artist and draftsman. He entered his adult working life in his family's steel fabrication business in Rapid City, South Dakota; which transitioned into a fine art bronze casting foundry were he fell in love with sculpture. Jim’s talent found it's voice after he moved to southern Utah, where prominent artists and a large sign manufacturing company helped his myriad artistic skills flourish.  

Jim is now using his talents to convey his love of nature. In his work balance, proportion, and subtle movement are key elements that provoke an emotional response that suggests a story as individual as the person who sees it. Sculpting full time since 2010, Jim's sculpture 'Pelican Ahoy!' was selected for permanent placement in the Benson Sculpture Garden by the Loveland High Plains Arts Council in Loveland, Colorado and installed in July 2013. 'Great Blue' was the winner of the 2013 People's Choice Award at Sculpture in the Hills, Hill City.

This piece was purchased with funds from the South Dakota Arts Council grant during the Governor’s 6th Biennial Art Exhibition in 2015. ​