A new community is growing in Sioux Falls. A community of like-minded people who share a passion for art. A community that doesn’t exist anywhere else in eastern South Dakota. This community is called DrawnTown and is fueled by the creative force of Sioux Falls’ artists.
DrawnTown, which gets its name from hosting the event in downtown Sioux Falls outdoor locations, is a unique social/creative event put on by a little design blog called Graphic Content. Sioux Falls based advertising agency, Fresh Produce, sponsors Graphic Content and believes it is important to highlight the work of local artists.
Kiel Mutschelknaus, graphic designer for Fresh Produce and “curator” of Graphic Content said, “The site came out of a desire to highlight local art. It’s really grown and we’ve seen a lot of great stuff from right here in Sioux Falls.”
Graphic Content has existed for 15 months and has seen dramatic growth in the willingness and excitement for local artists to showcase their work.
“It started kind of slow with Ted (Herin, co-founder of Fresh Produce) and I posting work from Fresh Produce, but it’s really caught on and now we’re backed up with submissions,» Mutschelknaus.
In just over a year GC has showcased the art of nearly 50 local artists and is updated multiple times a week by Mutschelknaus with new posts to stimulate any art fan. The blog has seen art from nearly every medium including paint, charcoal, watercolor, graphic design, and even folded paper. Andrew Osborn, recent graduate of Augustana College, has had his work showcased multiple times on GC and loves the opportunity. “It’s a neat little forum to not only get your art shown, but to tune in to see what other local artists are doing. I draw inspiration from that and allow myself to be an inspiration to others,” Osborn said.
DrawnTown is hosted on the first Tuesday of every month with the next event scheduled for September 8th at a location to be determined. There have already been three installments of DrawnTown and the event continues to grow in popularity. The original DrawnTown event was held in June and had roughly 15 participants despite poor weather conditions.
In regards to the future of the event Mutschelknaus said, “It’s already been a success. We have over 20 artists sharing, talking and collaborating. That’s what Graphic Content is really all about, collaboration. I just hope to see DrawnTown continue.”
Thanks to sites like Graphic Content and social media tools, artists now have the ability to share and promote their work all over the world for little to no costs. “As an artist any exposure you can get is necessary and Graphic Content allows anyone to exhibit art. Although some art can be private, art is meant to be seen and interpreted and GC provides that opportunity,” Osborn said.
If you’re an artist or just attempting to be one, make sure to check out Graphic Content and join the community at the next DrawnTown event.
