News at SDState

The South Dakota Art Museum at South Dakota State University invites the public to the closing reception and panel discussion for “Porter Williams: Evolution of Black America,” an exhibition celebrating the work and legacy of the late South Dakota artist and civil rights activist.

“Thrill Me,” a fall production by the theatre and dance department at South Dakota State University, lived up to its name for all involved. The American College Theatre Festival honored it with four national awards and nine national commendations. The cast of “Thrill Me” was honored with the Distinguished Performance Ensemble award. Actor Jacob Stevens was honored with the Distinguished Performance in a Play award. Jamison Gross won the award for Distinguished Musical Direction. Professor W. James Wood was honored for Distinguished Direction in a Play or Musical. The awards are based on how the students performed at a regional conference of the American College Theatre Festival in Rochester, Minnesota, Jan. 20.

The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band will join the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade in fall 2026. More than 300 Jackrabbits will travel to the Windy City.

When Laura Diddle arrived at South Dakota State University in 2003, she stepped into a role that would allow her to bring together her talents in teaching, conducting and mentorship. Over the next two decades, that role would grow into something greater, shaping not only a choral program, but generations of SDSU students and the musical life of the region.

Something unusual is about to unfold on the campus of South Dakota State University, and the public is invited to take part. Set for 1-3 p.m. May 2 on the Sylvan Green, “What Makes Your Soul Breathe” is not a typical art event. It is a live, interactive happening where visual art, performance and audience participation collide in a vibrant, open-air experience designed to spark curiosity and ignite creativity.

South Dakota State University’s School of Design will host its annual juried student exhibit awards ceremony May 1 from 1:30-3 p.m.

The Music Teachers National Association has honored South Dakota State University’s Mark Stevens as the recipient of the 2026 Gary L. Ingle State Leadership Service Award.

The South Dakota State University School of Performing Arts will welcome the Rawlins Ensemble, featuring musicians Sonja Kraus and Eun-Hee Park, on campus later this month. The guest artists, both music faculty members at the University of South Dakota, will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. April 13 at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center’s Founders Recital Hall.

The South Dakota State University Concert Choir will present a powerful and deeply reflective performance of Johannes Brahms’ “Ein Deutsches Requiem” at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 29, in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center’s Larson Memorial Concert Hall.

The South Dakota State University School of Performing Arts will present two large-scale America250 celebration concerts on April 11, at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.