Sioux Falls Celebrates Public Art with New Initiatives

City's 10-year arts and culture plan nears completion, bringing more opportunities for artists and community engagement.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 5:10pm

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A bold, colorful silkscreen-style illustration featuring a repeating pattern of a vibrant public art mural or installation, capturing the energy and artistic spirit of Sioux Falls' growing arts and culture scene.Sioux Falls celebrates its thriving public art scene with new initiatives that provide more opportunities for local artists to showcase their work and the community to engage with the city's creative vibrancy.Sioux Falls Today

The city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota is making significant strides in its public art initiatives, with the 10-year arts and culture plan nearing completion and a number of new opportunities for both artists and the broader community to get involved. The city's arts coordinator, Maren Engel, has been leading efforts to bring more intentionality and visibility to public art, including calls for art submissions, a new local artist exhibition space, and upcoming events that celebrate the city's creative community.

Why it matters

Public art has taken on greater prominence in Sioux Falls in recent years, with the addition of a full-time arts coordinator position and a focus on making art more accessible throughout the city. These efforts are helping to shape Sioux Falls into a vibrant, creative hub that welcomes everyone to experience, participate, and be inspired by the arts.

The details

The city's 10-year arts and culture strategic plan is nearing completion and will be presented to the City Council in May. In the meantime, there are several opportunities for artists and the community to get involved, including calls for art submissions for the annual storm drain inlet project, artwork to be featured on city buses, and a new Carver Gallery in City Hall that will showcase local artists, with a new annual people's choice award and the city purchasing a piece of art from a participating artist each year. Additionally, the city is planning a mural for the north exterior wall of the historic Orpheum Theater, created by South Dakota-born artist Jenae Porter.

  • The ArtAbility exhibit and artist reception will take place on April 17, 2026.
  • The Sioux Falls Art Educators Exhibition is currently on display at the Washington Pavilion.
  • The Orpheum Theater mural by artist Jenae Porter is expected to be installed in the fall of 2026.

The players

Maren Engel

The current arts coordinator for the city of Sioux Falls, leading efforts to bring more intentionality and visibility to public art in the city.

Jenae Porter

A South Dakota-born artist who is creating the mural for the north exterior wall of the Orpheum Theater in Sioux Falls.

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What they’re saying

“Overall, this is a very exciting time for arts and culture in Sioux Falls. We're seeing strong community interest, new opportunities for artists and continued investment in making art more visible and accessible throughout the city. Together these efforts are helping us shape a vibrant, creative city that welcomes everyone to experience, participate and be inspired by the arts.”

— Maren Engel, Arts Coordinator, City of Sioux Falls

“This is a new program specifically designed to highlight individual artists from the Sioux Falls area and create more opportunities for local talent to be seen in a highly visible public space.”

— Maren Engel, Arts Coordinator, City of Sioux Falls

What’s next

The city's 10-year arts and culture strategic plan is expected to be presented to the City Council in May 2026.

The takeaway

Sioux Falls is making significant strides in elevating public art and supporting its local creative community, with new initiatives that provide more opportunities for artists to showcase their work and for the broader community to engage with and be inspired by the arts. These efforts are helping to shape Sioux Falls into a vibrant, arts-focused city.