Zoo taps into creativity with Creative Creatures Art Show, Christmas at the Capitol

This paid event listing is sponsored by the Great Plains Zoo.

The second annual Creative Creatures Art Show returns to the Great Plains Zoo this weekend — and you can stop by and create too.

The zoo will host the event from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Curated by Sioux Falls art collective Untitled.10, Creative Creatures brings art out of the gallery and into the zoo. This year’s event will center on nine local artists creating original murals on the large, white wall in the zoo lobby.

“The murals will be inspired by animals living at the zoo, and the animals selected are all species that are viewable year-round,” said Denise DePaolo, public relations and marketing director.

The grand unveiling will happen at 2 p.m.

During Creative Creatures, kids can stop in the Education Center to make a craft and help color in their own “mural” – a banner that will welcome African lions back to Sioux Falls next summer.

The zoo’s education team will have ambassador animals to meet in the lobby during special Creature Features.

“You’ll be able to learn about the zoo’s South Dakota fieldwork to bring back the black-footed ferret and how to spot these nocturnal creatures in the night,” DePaolo said. “Plus, artists will be working on their murals on weekends during November, and the public is welcome to watch them in the lobby while visiting the zoo.”

Creative Creatures is included with zoo admission.

And speaking of creativity, don’t miss the zoo’s latest work if you stop by Christmas at the Capitol in Pierre.

The Great Plains Zoo, including the Butterfly House & Aquarium, was invited to decorate the South Dakota tree for Christmas at the Capitol in commemoration of the zoo’s 60th anniversary.

Preparing the ornaments for the 27-foot Black Hills spruce has been a months-long process for the team, with members from across the organization working on components, ranging from shaping the large wire circles used to hang the more than 150 ornaments to meticulously painting portraits of real animals.

“It’s been heartwarming to watch team members from both campuses come together to create a beautiful tree that represents this milestone anniversary and where we’re heading together,” CEO Becky Dewit said. “Our team members are very talented, capable people who create enrichment, exhibits and artwork in our facilities all the time. We’re grateful for this opportunity to showcase our team’s skills, as well as the species that call the zoo home.”

Christmas at the Capitol’s theme this year is Winter Wonderland, and 60 years is known as the “diamond” anniversary, so the zoo team decided to follow a sparkly white and blue color theme.

Decorations include:

• An African lion topper, inspired by the new exhibit the zoo will open in 2024.
• 60 blue morpho butterflies, celebrating the merger between GPZ and BHA in the zoo’s 60th year.
• Hand-painted animal ornaments cut from recycled Coroplast signage. The cutouts represent 40 of the 120-plus species GPZ/BHA works with at its facilities or in the field.
• Animal footprint star ornaments, featuring species ranging from rats to rhinos.
• Bubbles with hand-painted aquatic scenes.
• A handmade tree skirt with a central starburst inspired by sea anemones and the South Dakota state flag.

Some of the ornaments are memorials to beloved animals that have passed away recently, including Tama the Japanese macaque, Charles the black bear and Jabba the stonefish.

The Grand Tree Lighting Ceremony is 7 p.m. Tuesday. Christmas at the Capitol is open through Dec. 26 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.