Succession: Artists and Their Students from the Museum Collections

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"Succession: Artists and Their Students from the Museum Collections" shares pairings of works by teachers and their students.

"Succession," culled from the Museum permanent collections, was arranged in honor of Signe Stuart, whose retrospective exhibition is on display in the succeeding galleries. An accomplished artist, Stuart is often also cited as an influential teacher from her time as professor of Art at South Dakota State University (1971鈥1994). As a result, this exhibition was planned to celebrate and offer thanks to all educators, who like Stuart, generated ideas and inspiration in their students.

Home page image: Milton Kudlacek, Landscape with Gas Pumps,1968; oil on canvas. South Dakota Art Museum 1970.04.17. Gift of the South Dakota Arts Council & 海角直播app Alumni Association

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Exhibition Overview

Works by South Dakota born Harvey Dunn are paired with works by his students, whom he taught during the Golden Age of American Illustration. Three paintings by Oscar Howe, first Artist Laureate of South Dakota, are paired with works by his students Arthur Amiotte, Robert L. Penn and Herman Red Elk. Works by contemporary artists living and working in the state, including Shannon Frewaldt, James Pollock, D. George Prisbe-Przybysz, Gerry Punt, Erik Ritter, Mary Selvig and Mel Spinar celebrate the continuation of influence and education in the state; many of these artists are informal or formal educators themselves.

"Succession" offers you an opportunity to reflect on the educators who sparked imagination, creativity and meaning in your life. As you experience the exhibition, you may question:

  • Are there stylistic connections between teachers and their students?
  • Who is an educator in your life that has made an impact?
  • What would it look like if you and your art teacher displayed your works together?

The South Dakota Art Museum serves the peoples and communities of the state and its visitors as South Dakota鈥檚 premier visual arts resource. The Museum collects and preserves artworks of aesthetic, cultural, and historical significance. The collections contain over 7,000 objects representing the artistic achievements of artists from South Dakota and the surrounding region and artists from further afield who are of national and international significance.

Harvey Dunn and His Students

鈥淭he most fruitful and worthwhile thing I have ever done has been to teach.鈥 鈥 Harvey Dunn

This portion of "Succession" displays pairings of artworks by Harvey Dunn and his students. Born on a homestead near Manchester, Dunn left the farm to study at the South Dakota Agricultural College, at the Art Institute of Chicago and under 鈥淭he Father of American Illustration,鈥 Howard Pyle. He eventually opened his own studio in Wilmington, Delaware, and in Leonia and Tenafly, New Jersey. Dunn鈥檚 desire to share his artistic knowledge with the next generation was central to his practice and personal vision. He mentored thousands of artists at the Leonia School of Illustration, which he co-founded, and at the Grand Central School of Art, Pratt Institute and the Art Students League, inspiring many of the twentieth century鈥檚 most influential visual communicators.

Among the paintings and drawings on display in this exhibition are works by Dean Cornwell, Robert Doares, Helen Gilmore, Horace Gilmore, Albin Henning, Hubert Mathieu, Grant Reynard, Jes Schlaikjer, Amos Sewell and Ruth Wilcox, who went on to achieve careers in illustrations themselves. Speaking in clear and direct terms, as he was known to do, Dunn urged his students to maintain the passion that first led them to a life in art. When he died in 1952, his New York Times obituary announced his passing with the headline, 鈥淗arvey Dunn, 68, Artist, Teacher,鈥 reflecting upon his dedication to his art and his strong belief in the value of sharing one鈥檚 knowledge for the benefit of others.

Credits

Significant operational support for the South Dakota Art Museum is provided by South Dakota State University. Additional support is provided by the South Dakota Arts Council (with funds from the State of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts) and museum members and donors.

Harvey Dunn, After the Blizzard, oil on canvas, n.d.
Harvey Dunn
"After the Blizzard," n.d.; oil on canvas
South Dakota Art Museum 1970.01.04
Gift of the Artist
SDAM -,Reynard, Grant 1973.05 72 res
Grant Reynard
"The Milkman," n.d.; oil on canvas
South Dakota Art Museum 1973.05
Gift of Ray H. Smith
Harvey Dunn, The Abandoned Farm, oil on canvas, n.d.
Harvey Dunn
"The Abandoned Farm," n.d.; oil on canvas
South Dakota Art Museum 1970.01.01
Gift of the Artist
SDAM - Doares, Robert 2003.2 72 res
Robert Doares
"Salvo Post Office," 1975; oil on panel
South Dakota Art Museum 2003.2
Gift of the Artist
SDAM, Ada Caldwell, 1977.03.02
Ada Caldwell
"Near Colorado Springs," c. 1920; oil on board
South Dakota Art Museum 1977.03.02
Gift of South Dakota State University
SDAM - (1989.04) Irene Reinecke; Black Hills, n.d.; oil on canvas Transfer from the 海角直播app Visual Arts Department
Irene Reinecke;
"Black Hills," n.d.; oil on canvas
South Dakota Art Museum 1989.04
Transfer from the 海角直播app Visual Arts Department
SDAM (1999.06.01) Oscar Howe; Warriors on Parade, 1965; casein on paper Gift of Peggy and Tim Brown in memory of Dona S. Brown
Oscar Howe
(1999.06.01)
Oscar Howe; Warriors on Parade, 1965; casein on paper
Gift of Peggy and Tim Brown in memory of Dona S. Brown
SDAM - (1975.03) Herman Red Elk; War Party, 1974; acrylic on canvas South Dakota Art Museum purchase 鈥 Iverson Endowment
Herman Red Elk
"War Party," 1974; acrylic on canvas
South Dakota Art Museum1975.03
South Dakota Art Museum purchase 鈥 Iverson Endowment
SDAM - (1995.10) Nathanial Cole; Dakota Siding, n.d.; acrylic on board Gift of Mrs. Ruth Cole
Nathanial Cole
"Dakota Siding," n.d.; acrylic on board
South Dakota Art Museum, 1995.10
Gift of Mrs. Ruth Cole
SDAM - (1970.04.03) Alice Berry; Life, n.d.; oil on panel Gift of the South Dakota Arts Council & 海角直播app Alumni Association
Alice Berry
"Life," n.d.; oil on panel
South Dakota Art Museum 1970.04.03
Gift of the South Dakota Arts Council & 海角直播app Alumni Association
SDAM - Milton Kudlacek; Landscape with Gas Pumps, 1968; oil on canvas Gift of the South Dakota Arts Council & 海角直播app Alumni Association, South Dakota Art Museum 1970.04.17)
Milton Kudlacek
"Landscape with Gas Pumps," 1968; oil on canvas
South Dakota Art Museum 1970.04.17
Gift of the South Dakota Arts Council and 海角直播app Alumni Association
SDAM - (1975.09.21) Melvin Spinar; Twentieth Century Madonna, 1972; acrylic on canvas Gift of Association of Christian Churches of South Dakota
Melvin Spinar
"Twentieth Century Madonna," 1972; acrylic on canvas
South Dakota Art Museum 1975.09.21
Gift of Association of Christian Churches of South Dakota

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