PIERRE, S.D. – During a press conference Wednesday in Pierre, South Dakota Governor Krisit Noem announced the state is partnering with the South Dakota Arts Council to host the first Governor’s Student Art Competition.
The governor says the statewide visual arts competition is intended to encourage creativity among the state’s students.
“The arts play a significant role in growing South Dakota’s economy and enhancing our way of life,” said Noem. “This year, I am excited to launch the first annual Governor’s Student Art Competition that will recognize and encourage budding artists in our state.”
“I am very excited to be a part of the investment the governor is making in cultivating the next generation of South Dakota artists,” said District 26 Representative Rebecca Reimer. “I look forward to experiencing all the works of art that are yet to be created and the stories they will tell.”
“This is a great opportunity for our young people to be able to showcase their talent, and we are able to look at the world through their eyes,” said Senate Minority Leader Troy Heinert. “I’d like to thank Governor Noem for bringing this initiative forward.”
“I was only seven years old when I entered and won my first art contest, which propelled me into an incredible self-discovery,” said Bria Neff, a 7th grade student artist from Sioux Falls. “Art gives children the gift of imagination that will color their world with possibilities.”
“I want to thank Governor Noem for prioritizing this program and putting student artists in the spotlight,” said Dale Lamphere, South Dakota Artist Laureate. “I hope this program shows our promising young students that South Dakota is a great place to live and work as an artist.”
“Without artists, we wouldn’t have Mount Rushmore or Crazy Horse. We wouldn’t have the Redlin Art Center or the Dignity Statue. The Faulkton murals wouldn’t exist, and people wouldn’t have the opportunity to admire the beauty that is the Arc of Dreams. South Dakota is a canvas that inspires creativity, and I’m thrilled to use this competition to encourage our students to pursue art right here in South Dakota,” concluded Noem.
This spring, the South Dakota Arts Council will distribute program information to schools throughout the state, and submissions will be accepted in the fall. More information on logistics and criteria will be announced in the coming months.
Contributing millions of dollars to local revenues each year, the arts play a significant role in South Dakota’s economy. South Dakota is home to more than 1,300 arts-related businesses that employ nearly 6,500 people.
