FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wed., May 20, 2026
CONTACT: Katlyn Svendsen, Global Public Relations & Content Services Senior Director, Travel South Dakota

10 NEW PIECES PURCHASED FOR STATE ART COLLECTION IN 2026

PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota Arts Council (SDAC) recently purchased 10 new original artworks for the state’s public art collection through the Art for State Buildings program. 

The artworks were selected by a five-member advisory committee to SDAC, which reviewed proposals from 50 different artists. The committee bases its decisions on set review criteria including: quality of the work and relevance to the artist’s career; the artwork’s relevance to South Dakota environment, history, heritage, or culture; professional experience of the artist; durability, and safety required for public artworks and viewers. 

New purchases: 
•    Daae Bennett, Pierre, Lift Off at Dawn, painting, 2026, 18" x 24"
•    Charlene Brown, Pierre, Weathered, Take II, painting, 2026, 20" x16"
•    Ashley Morken, Sioux Falls, Riding On A Dream, painting, 2026, 51.25" x 27.25"
•    Jeremiah Murphy, Rapid City, Rosebud Rodeo Wild Horse Race, photography, 2018, 49.25" x 34.25"
•    Chad Nelson, Brandon, Axis of the World: Between Sky, Earth, and Dream, watercolor and woodcut print, 2021, 63.5" x 48"
•    Andrew Peschong, Sioux Falls, Blush of the Badlands, photography, 2024, 36" x 24"
•    Tim Peterson, Spearfish, Nightmill, painting, 2021, 36" x 18"
•    Mecca Rutherford, Sioux Falls, Dakota Sunset at Farm Island, painting, 2025, 48" x 30"
•    Barbara Sparks, Sioux Falls, Weathering the Plains, painting, 2025, 12" x 12"
•    Doris Symens-Armstrong, Watertown, Slim Pickins, painting, 2026, 38" x 26"

View artwork at https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/southdakotaartscouncil/exhibition/2026-art-for-state-buildings-selections. These pieces will be installed for public display later this summer. 

The Art for State Buildings program was established in 2008 by the South Dakota State Legislature for the purpose of creating a permanent state art collection showcasing South Dakota artists and artwork. The State Art Collection is displayed in publicly accessible areas of state government buildings located throughout the capital city of Pierre. SDAC manages the collection and program. Purchase proposals are accepted on an annual basis. More information can be found at https://artscouncil.sd.gov. 

An office of the South Dakota Department of Tourism, the South Dakota Arts Council's mission is to provide grants and services to artists, arts organizations, and schools across the state, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the State of South Dakota. The South Dakota Department of Tourism is comprised of Travel South Dakota and the South Dakota Arts Council. The Department is led by Secretary James D. Hagen.

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