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Linda Hoffelt will demonstrate wood carving, as well as exhibiting a watercolor piece. She taught art for 38 years. Since she retired, she paints or carves every day. "Art is what makes me happy."

Hoffelt will showcase her work:

• Demonstration: 7-7:15 p.m.
• Exhibition: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Bill Kees has lived in South Dakota most of his life, and he now lives in Brookings with his wife, Mary. He is an amateur artist, and after retiring from engineering two years ago, he has spent a lot of time oil painting and learning through books and online videos. He finds that oil painting is really a good medium for a beginner, as it's very forgiving and allows him to correct mistakes and layout problems along the way. He likes to paint building and city scenes and landscapes of any type. When he goes camping, he loves to take a small easel and painting set with him and paint a small scene of things he finds on his travels.

Kees will be doing a painting demonstration:

• Demonstration: 7:25-7:40 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Elissa Wenthe is an artist, based in Brookings, South Dakota. Her artwork is deeply inspired by the surrounding landscapes and the themes of memory and place. Through her practice, she seeks to capture the fleeting beauty of nature, using the irregularities and patterns found in decaying, wilting and dormant forms to evoke a sense of permanence in what is transient.

Elissa lives on a farm, Three Barn Acres, with her husband, Andrew, and their four children—Annaliese, Juliet, Cormac and Dashel—where she continues to find inspiration in the landscapes of the South Dakota countryside.

Erik Ritter has been an artist and educator for over 30 years. He earned his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and has showcased his work in prominent exhibitions, including Art Context in Miami, Scope International in New York and the Diego Rivera Gallery in San Francisco. His assemblage piece, "Bird of Time," was recently featured in the South Dakota Art Museum's exhibition "Succession: Artists and Their Students," highlighting the impact of mentorship in the art community.

Ritter has also been recognized for his contributions to the arts with two recent grants from the South Dakota Arts Council: the Residency for Recovery Artist Grant and the Creative Aging Educator Grant. Currently, he serves as a full-time instructor at the School of Design at South Dakota State University, where he continues to inspire the next generation of artists.

Ritter's work will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Eileen Binkley grew up on a small rural farm in South Dakota, where she developed her love of nature and wildlife. After receiving her Fine Art degree from ����ֱ��app, she taught art in the Brookings Public school system for almost 14 years. Since 2021, she has been a full-time artist and Operations Manager for the Brooking Arts Council. Eileen derives much of her inspiration from her childhood and her children and hopes to publish a series of children’s books one day.

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Colten Runge is a South Dakota-based oil painter whose passion for art began early with graphite and ink, later transitioning to oils in high school. After a break to join the workforce, he returned to painting in 2021 with a renewed dedication and a distinctive style described as “detailed but also impressionistic.” Influenced by music, nature travel, and personal experiences, Runge’s creative process begins with a rough mental image that evolves through thought and traditional oil techniques. His use of oils connects him to art history and deepens the emotional resonance of his work. Ultimately, he aims to create pieces that offer sanctuary, beauty and peace to those who view them.

Runge's work will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Chris Francis of Madison, South Dakota, will be showcasing his original sculptural pieces. Chris led the effort behind the first artist visit to the mile-deep Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, SD resulting in "Into the Dark: Artists Exploring Dark Matter", a widely traveled exhibition featuring the work of over twenty South Dakota artists. He earned his MFA in Studio Art from Lesley Art + Design located in Cambridge, MA in 2017.

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

David Palmer is a professor of management in the Ness School of Management and Economics. His research interests include human resource management and the psychological aspects of time and time management, and a bit off the beaten trail, he also studies the comic book industry. He enjoys painting in the style of Jackson Pollack, where one quickly gains an appreciation for how difficult it is to make something appear chaotic and random. One has to learn to capitalize on serendipity and go with the flow (no pun intended).”

Palmer's work will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

John Rychtarik is a native South Dakotan and retired as curator of exhibits from the South Dakotan Art Museum 10 years ago.

Rychtarik's work will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Ginny Weeks loves art, color and trying new things. Although she had no formal art training, after retiring from teaching in the Brookings School District, she has dabbled in numerous visual arts.

Weeks' work will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Miriam Koch is a high school student graduating this spring. After graduation, she hopes to pursue an illustration degree with a minor in art history at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. A fun fact about her is that her favorite medium is Gouache! Find Koch @angelica.v.art on Instagram.

 Koch's work will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Quin Paladeni is a 35mm film photographer capturing portraits, landscapes and street scenes. He shoots with a variety of film stocks and scans his own negatives, keeping the process hands-on. After years of casual shooting, he's recently started taking his photography more seriously.

Paladeni's work will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Born and raised in rural South Dakota, Meghan Peterson is a self-taught artist who has been honing her skills in landscape, floral and still life painting over the past several years. By day, she serves as a professional academic advisor and assistant director at ����ֱ��app, and by night (and weekends), she paints. Her artwork has been featured in South Dakota Magazine, Oakwood magazine, at the Brookings Arts Council, and is available for purchase at the South Dakota Art Museum gift shop. Meghan currently lives in Brookings with her husband Shawn and the world’s worst studio cats, Teddy and Eddie.

Follow Meghan on Facebook and Instagram @megmariah27

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Art is Ping He's life. It satisfies their curiosity and gives them a lot of frustration and happiness.

Ping He's work will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Kaitlyn Telkamp is the artist and owner of Mackson and Odella. Mackson and Odella is home to unique modern and boho fiber art and home decor and accessories, proudly and meticulously made in Brookings. Find Telkamp @macksonodella.

Telkamp's work will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Dave Huebner works with new forms and old forms. He is a traditional potter. The only thing constant in his work is "Change.” Huebner studies historical ware and makes replicas for museum gift shops. He was asked by the Smithsonian Gift Shop to make "buffalo mugs" about 35 years ago. This started him in the buffalo mug business. This led to other shops wanting items with buffalo designs. Huebner now does buffalo, moose, wolf, bear and dozens of the designs on his pottery. He hand paints portrait plates and advertising jugs. His work can be found in the South Dakota Art Museum gift shop. 

Huebner's work will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

After nine years of military service and a nearly 20-year legal career, Catherine Jones returned to ����ֱ��app to pursue her dream of becoming an artist. She will complete her third year in the studio art program in spring 2025, specializing in ceramics, printmaking and sculpture, with a minor in art history. She works in mixed media, using found objects, natural materials and chemical solutions. Experimentation is key to her practice, allowing her to create without hesitation. Through cyanotype, sculpture, light, audio and video, she explores her feelings about the state of the country and a woman’s place in it.

Jones' piece will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Karen Kinder is a retired art teacher enjoying having more time to paint. She loves to paint the South Dakota landscape that reminds her of the farm she grew up on. This painting shows what she saw through the window of her childhood bedroom. 

Find her on Facebook at Karen Kinder Art. 

Kinder's piece will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Savanna Vincent is a South Dakota-based artist working with clay and other mixed-media materials. Her art is a response to the complexities of today's capitalistic and dystopian society. She is inspired from Earth itself and the structures we have imped upon it. Observing how we treat the planet and each other is what evokes feeling into her work. Through her creative exploration, she aims to create art that resonates with our daily lives, while encouraging a deeper connection to humanities industrialization on Earth. Her desperation for a peaceful society fuels her creative journey.

Vincent's piece will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Amanda Berg is a self-taught woodworker who uses natural woods to create works of art. By using wood as the base for her art, it offers many opportunities to manipulate it in color, shape and texture. Each piece is unique to itself and usually part of a themed collection. Pieces can incorporate 3D carved wood, meticulously sanded to be realistic floral representations, or incorporated into an intricate mosaic pattern.

Berg's piece will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Danielle Kearin is a photographer and small business owner from Madison, South Dakota, specializing in high school senior and sports portraits. She is employed full time at Heartland Energy as a communications specialist. She's also a wife and mom to two rascally, fun-loving kids who frequently become the subject of her work. She stays busy balancing time between kids, work and community service organizations with hobbies, activities and naps in between. Kearin's photography is driven by a desire to capture fleeting moments that may go overlooked, finding or creating meaning in everyday life. Find her @stripedbanana on Facebook.

Kearin's piece will be showcased:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre

Rachel Funk is an artist and ����ֱ��app alumna who enjoys working with many various mediums, including oil painting, ceramics, embroidery, cyanotype and printmaking. When she is not working as the director for the Brookings Arts Council, she spends her time caring for her small jungle of indoor and outdoor plants, cooking for her family, listening to science fiction audiobooks at 1.45-times speed and going on walks with her wife and their elderly chihuahua, Lola. Find her @funkceramics on Instagram.

Funk will showcase her work:

• Time: 5:15-8:25 p.m.
• Space: Fishback Studio Theatre