South Dakota is a state with room to breathe and plenty of space to create. From an unlikely welding studio in a former horse barn to spinning globes that reimagine familiar places as otherworldly landscapes, this episode celebrates the stories, sights and sounds of artists pushing creative boundaries.
Follow host Brian Thacker to Lemmon to meet sculptor John Lopez, who repurposes scrap metal into extraordinary animals and powerful works inspired by the history and landscape around him. In Spearfish, artist Dick Termes takes listeners inside his mind-bending Termespheres®. Then, Yankton Sioux Tribe artist Jerry Fogg shares the histories and cultural traditions behind his deeply personal mixed-media works. Finally, musician Andrew Reinartz explains how South Dakota’s wide-open spaces influence his music.
You’ll hear from:
- Sculptor John Lopez from Kokomo Gallery
- Painter Dick Termes from Termesphere® Gallery
- Yankton Sioux Tribe mixed-media artist Jerry Fogg
- Musician Andrew Reinartz
I collect scrap metal from farmers and ranchers and arrange it into my style, my texture. I like to make an animal look like it’s coming to life ... doing something scrap metal shouldn’t do.
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Kokomo Gallery
In his northwestern South Dakota hometown of Lemmon, artist John Lopez’s masterpieces are on full display. Stand beneath towering sculptures welded from salvaged farm equipment, from bucking broncos and battling bison to a stoic Mufasa.
City of Presidents
Earlier in his career, John Lopez sculpted 12 of the 44 life-size statues of American presidents scattered throughout downtown Rapid City. As you stroll the city’s streets, you’ll happen upon a smiling John F. Kennedy or a boot-clad Theodore Roosevelt.
Termesphere® Gallery
Immerse yourself into artist Dick Termes’ world of spinning Termespheres® at his gallery in Spearfish, nestled at the foot of Black Hills National Forest. These mesmerizing, three-dimensional globes rotate to reveal intricate scenes like the Pantheon, an Old West main street or the geologic formations of the Badlands.
Washington Pavilion
A hub for the arts, the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls hosts a diverse collection of Broadway shows, family-friendly science exhibits, the state’s largest art museum (featuring the work of Yankton Sioux Tribe artist Jerry Fogg), and an on-site café and restaurant.
State of Create Passport
If you love art and culture, let the South Dakota State of Create Passport guide you to places you've always wanted to see or never knew existed. With this free, mobile-exclusive pass, you can check into artistic stops across the state to earn points and prizes.
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