Here is as pic of the new stuff in my head.  I’ve laid them out on the living room rug hoping for inspiration and some mystical intervention. LOL

 Tell me what you are doing, or thinking of doing with your art.  Any problems? Breakthroughs?

Don Jones

Valentines Day evening at Desperados in Hill City.  I would not have gone out on such a snowy dangerous night but my valentine knows many local musicians who are also composers.  I absolutely did not expect such high talent, heart, musicianship, humour, and friendship.  I had a great time listening to Chris Voyles, Steve Thorpe, Brenda Libby-Saxton, Marty Meyer, George Wolf, Mike Linderman and Ken and Cory Tomovick.   I am not a music critic/writer but I remember some smooth keyboard and flute from Marty and Wolf.  Some down-home tunes from Brenda, Chris, and Steve.  And some real Black Hills  soul from Mike and Ken and Cory.  My thanks go out to those musicians, the folks at Desperados and also the sponsors, two of which were the main artist/galleries in town.   I have only been in the Black Hills for 3 years and nothing but good has happened to me.  I’ll be sure to be at Desperados for the St Patricks show March 14 for some Celtic music. In fact, I’m officially closing the door to everyone else behind me.  To everyone reading this: Close your mouth about how nice it is here.  Tell them that hundreds die from the Winters and many more from the Summer heat.  Shoo the East and West Coasters away and tell them to go to Santa Fe or Aspen instead.  (Well they can go to Sturgis with their bikes but THAT’s IT!!)  I spent 4 years in Santa Fe and witnessed first hand how a place can go bad in a hurry.Don Jones 

January 17 & 18th is the Grand Opening of the Dahl Arts Center which is the culmination of a long process to create new and improved public arts space in downtown Rapid City.

If you’re interested in attending the event–the Celebration is Saturday night at 7 pm.  Call the Dahl for tickets 394-4101, ext 200 (tickets are free due to generous sponsors of the event, limt 4 per caller). 

Sunday there will be an open house with public tours and also arts activities for kids.  Artist Ross Rudel will give an artist talk at 3 pm on Sunday.

Hope to see you there!  Check out the website http://www.thedahl.org/Special_Events.htm for more information.

I was recently invited to a meeting of the Allied Arts Fund and was pleasantly immersed in a group of people with quality, energy and a high work ethic.  Like all arts organizations they are looking for ways to find the money necessary to help fund the arts here in The Black Hills.  Here is a list of their organizations: 

These are tough times for all so I’m posting this question to the community:  How can this group and others continue their work (which ultimately helps us all) in such a bad economic environment?  Artists are frequently asked to donate their work, time and energy and corporations are on everyone’s list for a handout.  How can we raise awareness as to the importance of this funding in addition to others?  Personally, I don’t think now is the time to clamp down.Please give us your suggestions. Don Jones 

Hi all,My apologies to those who wrote comments and were waiting to see them posted.  Apparently it is up to me and a couple of others to approve these comments.  I have just done so.  Some were of a spam nature and designated as such.  They will not appear.  I think I’ve got it figured out now.  So blast away!!! Don Jones 

This is a video of Clay Skies that I (Don Jones) made from the mid 1990’s to 2005

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending two art events in here in Rapid.  The first was at the Fair Grounds helping to jury the West River Art Show.  This was a lot of fun seeing the area’s best high school students involvement in the visual arts.  They have guts and imagination, and their teachers help them with techniques and direction.  Many students were there along with local artists and the interaction was helpful to all. It is always tough to jury these things.The second was that evening at the home of Pat Roseland.  He invited artists whose work he had collected over the years.  He has an amazing collection of historical and contemporary work. There was food and local wine and lots of laughs as painters and patrons celebrated the wonder that is the art scene here in the Black Hills.  I appreciate it because it is not pretentious or cynical.  It comes from the heart.  I’m hoping the the students I met earlier will grow to be accomplished artists and have such nice collectors as Mr. Roseland to help them in their careers. 

Hi and welcome to all Journal readers and art enthusiasts.  My name is Don Jones and I would like to invite your comments on your art concerns here in Rapid City or surrounding area.  My expertise is clay and drawing but I am currently painting oils.  I also teach at the Dahl Art Center.  I am fairly new to the area, having moved here in 2006 from New Mexico.  I do know many of the local art teachers in the schools and artists in the community and I invite them to post comments as well.I would like to invite all of you who have any interest in clay to visit the new facility at the Dahl Art Center.  They have 10 electric wheels, a new slab roller, 2 new kilns, tables, cabinetry and plenty of space to splash clay around in.  This marvelous facility is not being used to its potential, so I hope to have many of you sign up for classes.

This blog aims to interweave thoughts about visual art, politics, life, lives of artists, reactions to art in the community from both artists and art patrons, insights from artists into their studio practices, new events and the business of art into thoughtful discussions.
Our goal is to connect visual artists to people interested in art, to increase awareness of the business and economics of art and to create a community interested in discussing, participating in and supporting art in the community.

This blog is made possible by the Visual Art Advisory Board of the Dahl Arts Center (http://www.thedahl.org/arts_council_at_the_dahl.htm ) and the Rapid City Journal.
— Linda Anderson,
executive director of the Rapid City Arts Council
Dahl Arts Center