Inductees Uplifting the Arts in South Dakota
The arts have a massive impact on South Dakota. Spanning cultures, communities, and mediums—art of all kinds play a central role in shaping our state.
We are proud to have many artists and entertainers inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame and to showcase the way they have championed a culture of excellence through their art. Scroll below to read more about a few of the many amazing artists inducted into the Hall.
Delta David Gier: A Conductor Bringing People Together Through Music
Delta David Gier has been music director of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra since 2004, and the orchestra has been lauded for its programming under his direction. Delta David has conducted the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony, among others. The Lakota Music Project was developed under Delta David’s direction to address racial tensions in the region the SDSO serves, which explores the role music plays in their respective cultures, seeking to engender understanding and healing in the community. Most recently his work was featured in an article in the New Yorker, where the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra was hailed as one of the boldest orchestras in America.
Mary Gorder Groth: An Artist Showcasing the Human Spirit
The artwork of Mary Groth has been greatly influenced by her lifetime spent on the prairie. The Aberdeen native paints pictures that show the strength and endurance of the human spirit. “I am intrigued with the histories of people–who while moving westward, decided to stop and build their lives on the northern plains, which can be so unpredictable and harsh, but still so beautiful," says Groth. Recurring themes in Groth's artwork include the special friendship that exists between women and the special bond between mother and child. In 1989 Groth was commissioned to create the official South Dakota Centennial print and the South Dakota Nurses Association to create an image for their centennial commemorative print.
Oscar Micheaux: A Historic Film Maker capturing the American west
Oscar Micheaux was an African American homesteader, filmmaker, and author. He homesteaded a claim near Gregory, SD, and was one of the few African American settlers in South Dakota at the time. He was also the first African American filmmaker in the United States. Both his books and his films have dedicated followers even today. In 1905, Micheaux purchased his first claim of 160 acres in Gregory County on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. He spent eight years on this homestead; it’s where he wrote his first novel and shot his first film. The homesteading experience had such an impactful influence on his life that he continually revisited the theme in all his works.
Louis Otey: A World-Class Opera Singer hailing from South Dakota
Louis Otey’s talent is known throughout the world of operatic music. The baritone singer, who hails from Flandreau, SD, studied music at South Dakota State University and Memphis State University. In 1981, he moved to New York to begin his solo professional career, which includes performances at the most prestigious Opera Houses in the world: Canada, England, Hawaii, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, and France. Since his professional opera debut, Otey has received critical acclaim for his performances with leading theatrical groups around the world and has performed with some of music’s greatest names including Beverly Sills, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti.
Bill Russell: A Renowned Broadway Playwright
In 1980, Bill Russell made his Off-Broadway writing debut with Fortune (music by Ronald Melrose). The show ran for 241 performances and was subsequently performed around the country. After huge success Off-Broadway, Russell made his Broadway debut with Side Show. Russell received a Tony nomination for Best Book and shared one for Best Score. The show also received a nomination for Best Musical. The original cast recording was released by Sony Classics. A Broadway revival in 2014, directed by Oscar-winning screenwriter and director Bill Condon, received great critical acclaim and five Drama Desk nominations, including Best Musical Revival.
Rose Wilder Lane: an Award-Winning Writer & Journalist
Rose Wilder Lane was an American journalist, travel writer, novelist, and political theorist, as well as a Libertarian spokeswoman. Her mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder, is the better-known writer in the family, but Lane's accomplishments remain remarkable. After World War I, she became a reporter for the American Red Cross. From this period through the early 1940s, her work regularly appeared in leading publications such as Harper's, Saturday Evening Post, Good Housekeeping, and Ladies Home Journal. Several of her short stories were nominated for O’Henry Prizes and a few of her novels were top sellers. In the late 1920s, she was considered one of the highest-paid female writers in America.
To learn more about Inductees from the South Dakota Hall of Fame, click here.