See it while you can: Washington Pavilion’s blockbuster art exhibit draws record crowds

This paid piece is sponsored by Washington Pavilion Management Inc.

One was a tour for a group from a corporate office.

Another was a Christmas party with 20 friends.

Then, there was the mayor’s birthday celebration with his leadership team.

And the school tours, the families and the art enthusiasts.

“They’re all pretty stunned to see this variety of high-quality work,” said Cody Henrichs, curator of the Visual Arts Center at the Washington Pavilion.

“I like to hear people say, ‘I’m not an art person, but this was really amazing.’”

In the first few months that “Guild Hall: An Adventure in the Arts” has been available at the Washington Pavilion, it has set records, drawing more than 20,000 visitors so far.

“It’s cultural tourism,” said Jana Anderson, assistant curator. “Think about going to New York and maybe visiting a museum even though it’s not your usual thing. Now, you can tour really high-quality, important work right here in town.”

Anderson and Henrichs uniquely understand the opportunity Guild Hall brings to Sioux Falls. The collection from the New York-based organization offers the chance to view more than 70 original, famous works from 50 artists.

Anderson is a Sioux Falls native who moved back from Philadelphia during the pandemic after the nonprofit arts organization she worked for was forced to dissolve. In addition to her role at the Pavilion, she teaches at Dakota State University and SDSU.

“I’ve seen the growth and change here, and it’s awesome,” she said. “This is a growing and diversifying city, and we’re helping provide arts and culture.”

Henrichs grew up in Luverne, Minnesota, lived in the Twin Cities for many years and earned his master’s degree in Rhode Island. He took a job at the University of Minnesota and opened his own arts nonprofit before becoming curator at the Pavilion four years ago. He also teaches at the University of Sioux Falls.

“Our goal personally is that we want nothing more than for people to be excited about the museum,” he said. “So if it involves a nontraditional night for your group at the museum, we’re open to that.”

“Guild Hall” is as much a history lesson as a chance for art appreciation. It weaves chronologically through the past 100 years of American history.

“We’re both art educators, so it’s easy for us to tailor our tours for different age groups, and it’s a chance to reach people we normally wouldn’t be able to,” Anderson said. “It’s a really accessible show, and you can find within it whatever people are interested in: social, economics, overall history and art. It’s such a quality curated grouping of work.”

They encourage parents to consider bringing children who might not have been exposed through school.

“Art appreciation and literacy can start really early,” Anderson said. “We’ve been doing tours with high school and college-age students, but exposing younger children to this level of art is valuable. I’ve done tours with little kids, and it’s fascinating to hear how the mind works. They ask really valid questions.”

They also remind educators to schedule class tours soon because the exhibit is here only until March 5.

And if you’d rather take a self-guided tour, there are QR codes to guide you throughout the exhibit.

“Our volunteers at the front desk also are happy to speak about the museum as they’ve learned a lot about the show,” Anderson said.

The success of this show also will directly impact future shows coming to the Visual Arts Center.

“The better this show is attended, and the more the public shows interest, the more we can do,” Henrichs said. “And Sioux Falls has shown they will support this. You don’t have to leave town to see New York-quality work. So we’re hoping this gives legs to other exhibitions and continues to drive interest in the work we have here from our outstanding local and regional artists.”

Hours for “Guild Hall: An Adventure in the Arts” are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Reach out to Kimberly Foster at [email protected] for information on scheduling a private tour.