The South Dakota Art Museum has opened 'The Founding Gifts,' a summerlong exhibition running from March 29 to September 21, celebrating the people and collections that established the museum. The exhibit highlights three key contributors: artist Harvey Dunn, whose 1950 donation of homesteading-era paintings formed the museum's foundational collection; the South Dakota General Federation of Women’s Clubs, which advocated for a permanent art museum and donated its art collection in 1970; and Congressman Benjamin Reifel, the first Lakota person elected to U.S. Congress, who loaned his Plains art collection in 1977, founding the museum's Native American collection. A free public reception is planned for August 8.
The exhibition matters because it honors the museum's 75-year legacy and the grassroots generosity that built its collection, emphasizing the importance of preserving not just artworks but the stories behind them. By recreating Dunn's original 1950 exhibition and showcasing the contributions of local advocates and Indigenous leadership, the show underscores how community-driven efforts—rather than wealth or prestige—can establish lasting cultural institutions. Museum director Donna Merkt notes that this context deepens visitors' connection to art, making the exhibition a model for how museums can celebrate their origins while inspiring future generations.