Art Museum to downsize for summer
While it gets a new heating and cooling system—vital to the treasures it holds—the South Dakota Art Museum will snuggle into smaller quarters until fall.
Beginning Thursday, April 1, through October, visitors will have full access to the museum gift shop as well as a selection of Harvey Dunn works in the adjacent gallery.
The South Dakota Art Museum will show some of its most famous works by Harvey Dunn in a smaller gallery until the fall. The museum gift shop will also be open during construction.
“People can still come in and shop and see a selection of Harvey Dunn paintings,” said Lynn Verschoor, museum director.
“‘The Prairie is my Garden’ will be up; people always want to see Dunn’s most famous painting. We will also feature many of the paintings that were recently conserved, like the ‘Untitled’ Red Cross painting, ‘After the Blizzard,’ ‘Aunt Emma’ and many more.
“Since conservation, the paintings are beautiful. They sing like a Harvey Dunn painting should.”
The paintings received a good cleaning by conservators who removed old, yellowed varnish and other environmental pollutants.
“Now that they’ve been cleaned, they look brand new,” Verschoor said. “You can see more detail, color and texture.”
The construction, while temporarily inconvenient, will yield an environment suitable to sustain the state’s art treasures. Museums must maintain specific temperature and humidity levels to protect its artwork. To that end, this is the perfect time to replace the 40-year-old HVAC system with a new system.
“We are wrapping up the conservation project for the Dunn paintings,” Verschoor said. “We’re about to launch a Native American conservation project as well as having our works on paper assessed. So the construction project is at a great time in the scheme of things.
The museum had to take some exhibits down early. For example, a quilt exhibit came down a bit early which may have inconvenienced some visitors, but administrators said they needed to comply with the construction schedule.
“We’re looking forward to the results of the construction because it will improve the environment for the artwork,” she said. “This is our job. We are stewards of the state’s art treasures. It’s our responsibility to ensure they’re here for future generations.
Verschoor hopes patrons will bear with the construction until the museum is fully operational in the fall.
A separate project, but one that will be completed at the same time, is the remodeling of the outdoor plaza on the east side of the building. It will be a beautiful plaza with seating and plantings creating a welcome setting for students, faculty and the community to use for workshops, receptions and other events. “This will tie in beautifully with other things happening on campus,” Verschoor said.
The South Dakota Art Museum is located on the campus of South Dakota State University in Brookings, on Medary Avenue at Harvey Dunn Street. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. The museum observes state holidays. The museum or gift shop can be reached by calling 605-688-5423 or (toll free) 866-805-7590.