A Message from the Director

In the business world, “growth” equals success. A successful company can say it has experienced growth if it finds itself needing more employees to meet customer demands, more space in which to conduct its business, and ends a fiscal year showing a healthy profit. The Dacotah Prairie Museum has experience phenomenal growth during its nearly 40 years in its current building at 21 South Main Street and has become a very successful and vital component of the educational and economic fabric of northeastern South Dakota.

When the Museum opened in its historic building in the fall of 1970 it had a staff of two, a few hundred artifacts, and space for exhibits and offices on just half of the building’s ground floor. It shared the building with several other tenants. As these tenants vacated the building, the DPM gradually expanded, and by the mid 1980s it occupied the entire building. The newfound spaces were soon filled with more artifacts and exhibits allowing the DPM to more completely tell the story of Brown County. Early staff and boards are to be commended for making these gradual expansions work so well. It is now time for current personnel to develop expansion plans for the next generation of museum leadership.

The Museum has filled its wonderful old building to capacity. The collection numbers over 40,000 artifacts; the staff numbers six, and exhibits can be found throughout the building. There is no more space to be carved out for artifact storage, new exhibits, or meeting areas. This lack of “growing room” limits the organization’s capability to serve the public. The collection of the DPM is representative of life on the Dakota prairie through 1930; newer artifacts are few and the ability to actively seek more is severely limited by the confines of the existing building. To meet current needs and prepare for the future, the DPM needs more space for all aspects of its operation. Current staff and boards hope to solve this problem by expanding the museum with an addition that would be identical in size to the existing building.

Building an addition is a huge undertaking and can be successful only with the help of the public who would provide some of the financial resources needed to make this dream become a reality. During the past six weeks, the DPM and Dave Brunkow, a fundraising consultant from the firm of Gronland, Sayther and Brunkow of Sioux Falls, have been conducting a feasibility study within the community to determine if the public feels it is “feasible” or possible for the DPM to raise the $5 million required for the addition.

The DPM staff and boards will be better able to determine a course for the future after reviewing the results of this study that Mr. Brunkow will present to them later this month. What ever the study reveals, the DPM will remain committed to excellence in public service and chart its future accordingly.

Watch this newsletter for more on this exciting project as the DPM prepares itself for another 40 years of growth in public service.

Presidential Visits to Aberdeen

One of the holidays established by the federal government is President’s Day. It not only celebrates the February birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln but also encourages remembrance of all US presidents. Some of these leaders have visited Aberdeen during their years as president; others visited as candidates campaigning to become the US president and one visited as a private citizen. In total, ten men who were or would become US presidents have been to Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Sitting presidents to visit include: William McKinley on October 14, 1899; William Howard Taft on October 23, 1911; Franklin Roosevelt on August 28, 1936; and George W. Bush on October 31, 2002.

Successful presidential candidates to visit were: Theodore Roosevelt in September 1900; John F. Kennedy on June 18, 1960; Richard Nixon on April 27, 1968; and George H.W. Bush in 1988.

Harry Truman stopped in Aberdeen on October 22, 1944 as a vice presidential candidate. He became president months later upon the death of FDR. Former California Governor Ronald Reagan stopped here July 23, 1975 to raise funds and campaign for South Dakota Republicans; he was elected president in 1980.

New Art Shows Open in February

February brings two new art shows to the DPM galleries. Aberdeen artist Sarah Kargol has created “The Truth About Monsters...” that hangs in the Lamont Gallery. “Expanding Our Vision” featuring pieces created by the art students in grades 3 - 12 at Roncalli can be found on the second floor landing and hallway areas.

Kargol is the mother of four young boys who have become the inspiration for many of her works through their daily antics, speech and general curiosity about life. She paints at night after her boys are in bed. She uses “found” objects such as buttons, fabric scraps and recycled images to help create a nostalgic feel in her pieces to evoke memories common to all those who view her art.

The public is invited to attend a reception for Sarah on Thursday, February 21, from 5pm - 7pm at the museum.

The Roncalli students have used a variety of media including drawings, watercolors, weavings, ceramics, wire sculptures, and linoleum prints to create the works in the second new show that will be available for viewing from February 20 – April 9. Art instructors responsible for helping these students with their projects are Laurel Mehrer and Lora Schaunaman. Please stop in to see the exhibit and show your support for these student artists.

“This Day in History” archived on DPM Website

Due to popular demand, the “This Day in History” segments heard weekdays on Jay Dean’s Morning Party on 97.7FM have been archived on the DPM’s website. They can be accessed by going to www.dacotahprairiemuseum.com and clicking on the “This Day in History” link. Items will be posted one week after their broadcast.