Skip to main content

Dakota Modern: The Art of Oscar Howe

Open -

The acclaimed exhibition Dakota Modern: The Art of Oscar Howe culminates its national tour in Oscar Howe's home state of South Dakota. Dakota Modern will be on view June 10, 2023–September 17, 2023 at the South Dakota Art Museum at South Dakota State University in Brookings.

This retrospective exhibition celebrating the art of Yanktonai Dakota artist Oscar Howe was curated by Kathleen Ash-Milby and organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Portland Art Museum. It opened at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in March 2022, in New York City, and traveled to the Portland Art Museum, where it closed May 14, 2023. The South Dakota Art Museum is the final stop for Dakota Modern.

The exhibition at the South Dakota Art Museum features more than sixty works by Howe, including early works created in New Mexico and Oklahoma and a large selection of mature works painted by Howe during his many years living in South Dakota and teaching at the University of South Dakota (USD). Howe’s public works, such as the Corn Palace murals, are also touched upon in the exhibit. Dakota Modern draws upon collections from across the country, including many South Dakota collections. A large body of work from the Oscar Howe Collections at USD, and selections from the collections of the South Dakota Art Museum, the South Dakota State Historical Society, as well as private collectors from the state and beyond make up the exhibit.

Additional information about this exhibition at the South Dakota Art Museum and plans for educational and outreach programs will be forthcoming. For questions, please contact sdsu.sdam@sdstate.edu or call 605-688-5423.

Exhibition News Release

Opening Day Celebration - June 10, 2023

Oscar Howe Collection and Biography

Comments

We really value visitor comments about South Dakota Art Museum exhibitions and your experience at the museum or here on our website. Please take a moment to send us your comments and let us know if we can share them here. We also appreciate visitor reviews on GoogleTripadvisorFacebook and other social sites!

SHARE YOUR COMMENTS 

Credits

Organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Portland Art Museum. Curated by Kathleen Ash-Milby. Major support provided by The Henry Luce Foundation. Generous support provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Additional support provided by the Wyeth Foundation for American Art.


The exhibition of Dakota Modern at the South Dakota Art Museum is supported by many generous donors, including:

Premier Sponsors:

Tier 2 Sponsors:

Tier 4 Sponsors:

  • Dorothy and Jim Morgan
  • Craig and Della Tschetter

Tier 5 Sponsors:

  • Ruth and Eric Brown
  • Marcia and David Chicoine
  • Thomas and Sharon Haskell
  • Carole and Alan Johnson
  • Bonnie A. Lievan in memory of Elsie Ruth Lievan
  • Jeanne and Tom Manzer in honor of Lanniko Lee
  • Donna and Frank Merkt
  • Harriet Swedlund
  • T & R Service Company
  • Sharon and Gary Van Riper

Operational support for the South Dakota Art Museum is provided by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Arts Council. Support for the Museum’s exhibitions and educational programming comes from generous donors and Museum members.

Upcoming