Art Masters is an annual fine art exhibit at the Minnehaha Country Club (MCC) featuring works of premier regional artists. Each spring, exhibited art will be sold at a fabulous event at MCC, and a whole new Art Masters exhibit will launch. Art Masters starts conversations, encourages art appreciation and contributes to the Club’s culture of family and fellowship.

 

The House Committee of the Minnehaha Country Club was looking for a way to display high-quality, original art in its lobby and main hallways. An art exhibit would strengthen connections between Club members, guests, and the regional arts community. Art starts conversations, and an art exhibit contributes to Minnehaha’s family and fellowship culture. We are proud that Minnehaha has named this art exhibit, The Art Masters. 

We wanted Art Masters to fascinate people–pique their curiosity and prompt them to learn more about the art and the artists. The exhibit had to be welcoming to all, yet be appealing to the various tastes of individuals. So a variety of art media and styles are present. 

This display will be on exhibit for about a year, culminating with an art sale at a special event next spring, exclusive to MCC members and invited guests. At that time, we will install a new Art Masters exhibit.

Over the 16 years of our business, we’ve designed numerous art exhibits for corporate and retail spaces. However, this exhibit is special because of the strong participation of the region’s premier artists, the high quality of original art, and the partnership with Minnehaha. 

To create the final layout for the Art Masters display we determined that walls in the Country Club’s lobby and main hallways would serve as exhibit spaces. Then, once we received the art pieces, we brought them into the exhibit spaces and arranged them in a suitable fashion. We paid particular attention to how each piece enhanced members’ and guests’ experiences as they entered the Club and walked through the exhibit.

The walls were covered with wallpaper, and we wanted to minimize the impact. Since the pieces varied in size, and because we plan on refreshing the exhibit annually, we needed to make sure that each space could accommodate art of various sizes and styles. So the hangers are all based off a center point instead of being leveled across the top like you would typically use for an art display. Some pieces, like Kirby Schultz’s 8- by 2-feet painting, are odd shapes so setting up the display based off the center hanging point gives us flexibility for future displays.

Each frame was selected by our team of professional framers here at Piper Arts, primarily framed to be an extension of the piece. As with any installation work we do, we took into consideration the decor style of Minnehaha Country Club and chose frames that would also enhance the space.

When selecting the participating artists some of the features we looked for were talent, collectability, and notoriety. Art Masters is about the art and artists, so we wanted to showcase both well-known and up-and-coming artists. The exhibit features 15 regional artists who each specialize in various mediums and styles.

Most of the artists are from the Sioux Falls area. However, Jason Folkets has deep ties to Sioux Falls, but he now lives in Minneapolis, MN. Sarah Rogers has SD roots but now lives in Wyoming. Erin Asmussen lives on a ranch near Agar, SD. 

We decided not to have a specific theme for these pieces. We really wanted to show the members of Minnehaha Country Club a diverse selection of art. We wanted photographers, oils, watercolor, abstract, realism, digital art – basically, a smorgasbord of amazing regional talent. We simply asked the artists to create something original in their preferred medium.

The artists were asked specifically for original works and no prints or reproductions. We also didn’t want any imitations of other well-known pieces. This way the display will be fresh and exciting each year, something for club members and the participating artists to look forward to.

Art Masters is for both the artists and the Minnehaha Country Club. Instead of the artists having to donate their art for a cause, we wanted the eventual sale proceeds to return to the artists. At the end of this first exhibit next Spring, the art will be sold (via auction) at a celebratory event at the club. Beyond financial gain, the artists receive significant exposure. Art Masters is displayed in Minnehaha Country Club’s lobby and primary hallways. 

The reception at Minnehaha Country Club has been overwhelmingly positive. There were lots of members and staff asking questions and inspecting the pieces while we were installing the display. We have also received lots of comments about how much it’s added to the atmosphere of the club–creating more interest in art & the art community.

Club members and guests can view Art Masters anytime. The celebratory sales event in the Spring of 2024 will be exclusive to Club members and their guests. The public can visit the exhibit by calling the Club and making an appointment. For inquiries about a specific piece or artist please contact Piper Arts.

 

Art Masters 2023 Participating Artists

Erin Asmussen

Kiley Busko

Jenny Bye

Jason Folkerts

Brad Kringen

Dale Lamphere

Greg Latza

Scott Parsons

Sarah Rogers

Paul Schiller

Kirby Schultz

David Sieh

Joshua Spies

Jim Sturdevant

Emilia Van Ert