New York-based American art exhibit makes rare appearance in Sioux Falls

This paid piece is sponsored by Washington Pavilion Management Inc.

Sioux Falls: You’ll now be able to view original works from Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and some of the country’s other most renowned artists as part of a new exhibit at the Washington Pavilion.

“Guild Hall: An Adventure in the Arts” from Guild Hall in East Hampton, New York, debuts Friday night at the Pavilion, offering a rare opportunity to view more than 70 original, famous works from 50 artists.

Visitors enter the exhibit through an archway illustrating one of Andy Warhol’s famous depictions of Marilyn Monroe. The portrait in the background is made of pressed paper by artist Chuck Close.

Other featured artists include Willem de Kooning, Roy Lichtenstein and Thomas Moran.

“It would be highly unusual to find the entire breadth of this history in one space,” director of museums Brandon Hanson said.

“Typically, a museum visitor would need to travel to multiple galleries and may need to travel quite far to see this grouping of work. We firmly believe that our community shouldn’t have to travel to New York to experience work like this, which includes work from many artists you’ve likely heard of but not had the chance to see in person.”

The opportunity came together thanks to tireless work from Cody Henrichs, curator of the Visual Arts Center.

He began working on a deal with Guild Hall two years ago.

“Their collection is 2,000 of the most notable pieces in America, and they have loaned this group of work out to other institutions similar to our size, and I thought it would be fantastic for us,” he said. “Many of these pieces have a deep, personal connection between the artist and Guild Hall, such as a personal gift to someone who worked at the museum, so even if you went to MoMA or other institutions, you wouldn’t necessarily see a big, personal work like this.”

As the works were installed in preparation for the Pavilion debut, “it was better than I could have imagined,” Henrichs said. “I was really excited for the show to come. I’m an art nerd, but it’s been like Christmas Day for the past week and a half.”

Howard Russell Butler painted this portrait of artist Thomas Moran and behind are portraits by Stuart Davis, Moses Soyer and Raphael Soyer.

The artwork represents American art history over the past century, including art movements that reflect the country’s past.

“For the art enthusiast, this is a chance to dig deeper into their favorite artist or movement with a guided and curated tour,” Hanson said. “For the person who hasn’t stepped foot in an art museum, this is the perfect chance to try something new and experience artwork from the masters. Not only that, with the growth that Sioux Falls continues to see, this is our way of making sure those who are new to town know that we exist and are the place to visit.”

The Pavilion expects the Guild Hall exhibit will draw a number of visitors. High schools and colleges already have scheduled tours, and there’s availability to accommodate groups of all sizes.

“Our teams have been working closely with Experience Sioux Falls to develop guided tours and funnel more people into our beautiful city,” Hanson said. “Sioux Falls is certainly a cultural hub, and the Pavilion is a center for culture. Capitalizing on community partnerships like this is key to our success as a nonprofit, and it supports our community in a whole new way. This art exhibition is just one more way to support that particular economic engine of our city and other local businesses around us.”

Andy Warhol’s “Marilyn Monroe” is in good company near pieces by Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Gwathmey, Audrey Flack and Jasper Johns.

Here’s how significant this is: The farthest this exhibit has traveled west before Sioux Falls was Virginia.

“But I believe Sioux Falls is ready for this,” Henrichs said. “When I first came to the Pavilion, I heard our team say you don’t have to go to New York to find great Broadway entertainment. You can find it in this city. And I wanted to be able to say the same about visual art, so I started to pursue this, and our leadership got behind it, and we started pushing boulders and saying we’re ready for this.”

Creating memorable experiences is part of the Pavilion’s mission, Hanson added. The exhibit answers a call from members and guests for more traveling exhibits and offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all ages to see these works.

“As one of the largest art museums in South Dakota, this caliber of art should be here and available to the community,” he said. “The buzz about this exhibition is certainly already starting to spread, and it is so special to be part of something like this.”

An abstract piece by Elaine de Kooning titled “Bacchus #63” is flanked on either side by photographs of her husband, artist Willem de Kooning, and her.

Hours for the Visual Arts Center are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Watch for after-hours opportunities such as First Friday events and evening performances.

Access to the Guild Hall exhibit is included with museum admission and free to members. It’s also free on First Friday, including this Friday beginning at 5 p.m. Coming to the Pavilion for a Broadway show or South Dakota Symphony concert in the coming months? Your ticket also will include admission to the exhibit.

“So come early,” Henrichs said. “Come 20 or 30 minutes early, and you can absolutely go through. So much of the success of this for us is whether people want to see it. We can put on the greatest show in the world at the museum, but we really need people to come so we can then tell that story to future exhibits.”

To learn more about “Guild Hall: An Adventure in the Arts” and the entire Visual Arts Center, click here.