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1990: 50 Works for 50 Years

Dale Lamphere

"Young Long Soldier"

Dale Lamphere currently resides in Sturgis and is the South Dakota Artist Laureate. He has been a professional artist, sculptor and designer for over 45 years. His work is represented in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. and he has completed over 50 large-scale public works.

Lamphere works in both figurative and abstract styles. His first works were assemblages of wood, canvas, metal and stone. But, he said, “I longed for something more immediately expressive and began working with clay, soon moving to cast bronze.”

This bronze portrait of Martin Long Soldier was modeled during Long Soldier’s rests between poses for Lamphere’s "Tall Grass Walker." Lamphere remembered, “we took a break and Martin walked to the south door of the studio. The low afternoon sun illuminated his distinctive features and the wind blew back his hair. I can still hear Martin’s twinkling chuckle the first time he saw the result of that moment in bronze.”

View more works by Dale Lamphere. You can also watch this video of his Dec. 15, 2020 live studio tour and talk for the South Dakota Art Museum Guild:

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