ABOUT
About the Brookings Summer Arts Festival
Beautiful Pioneer Park in Brookings, South Dakota is home to South Dakota’s premier juried art festival. Over 175 artists from across the nation, representing 15 disciplines of art, grace Pioneer Park with original skilled and handcrafted works of art. Thirty six gourmet and ethnic food booths satisfy every appetite. The Artisan Food and Naturals area has over 30 artisans who produce gourmet packaged cottage foods and natural skin products. Historic and antique booths celebrate South Dakota’s heritage. A lively children’s area in the center of the park provides fun, educational activities. In addition to the great works of art, the festival has become known for the entertainers performing on the park's historic Band Shell and on side stages throughout the park.
Our History
The Brookings Summer Arts Festival is a testimony to what a good idea and a lot of hard work can do. Each year a group of local volunteers plan an arts festival that surpasses the year before. Festival patrons are treated to a show that brings a wide assortment of art, food and entertainment to Pioneer Park.
The stage was set in 1972 when a small group of people gathered over a cup of coffee and planned an all-city event. Events took place all over town and kicked off July 15, 1972 with a parade and opening ceremony. Fifteen craft and art booths were at Pioneer Park, while rock, antique, and coin shows were held elsewhere. Bus tours went to the Brookings County Historical Museum in Volga. A 4-H horse show, a grouping of band concerts and evening dances were also enjoyed by those who attended the first Brookings Summer Arts Festival.
Nearly five decades later, the Festival now transforms Pioneer Park into an outdoor art gallery that showcases the wares of the best regional artists and skilled craft vendors. Although we have continued to grow and evolve since our beginnings, the committee still meets over cups of coffee to plan the annual festival and prove what a little hard work from a few dedicated volunteers can achieve.
Awards
The BSAF Awards Committee selects three artists annually to honor. Two receive an Award of Excellence and one the Media Award. At the start of each year’s festival, the committee gathers together to canvas the festival vendors to select these recipients.
The Awards Committee bestows two Award of Excellence ribbons to two artisans who show outstanding skill in his or her chosen media. These awards are based on overall quality of the artist’s work, and not on a particular piece. Criteria to judge work is based on originality, craftsmanship and skillful use of materials. The winners must create all of their work.
The third award and ribbon is the Media Award. The Awards Committee chooses one piece of work from an artist the group feels best represents the spirit of the festival. The committee searches for a piece that is an original or “one-of-a-kind”.
The selected artist will be asked for permission to use the artwork to create the next year’s BSAF logo. The Awards, Publicity, and Tee Shirt Committees create a flat art logo to be used on promotional materials such as tee-shirts, flags and banners. The artwork will also be on posters, programs, and newspaper and TV advertising distributed in a four state area.
2023 Award Winners
The Pressing Garden: Artisan Glass and Botanical Jewelry by Susan Roskens
Media Award Winner
About her work she says, "Yes they are real!! All of the flowers in my hand-crafted botanical jewelry are grown & harvested in Southern MN. Each blossom was picked by hand, pressed and dried before being encased in glass and sealed with solder."
Tim and Nate Giest, The Rusty Nut
Award of Excellence
They design and create unique metal creations and creative metal decor.
Sandy Kay Hunter, Nature in Watercolor and Acrylic
Award of Excellence
Sandy creates original watercolor and acrylic paintings
Our Committee
Coming from all walks of life, the committee members of the Brookings Summer Arts Festival all have one thing in common: the desire to create the finest arts festival in the state of South Dakota. Each year, the thirty to forty members come together to plan and design a weekend of art, food, and entertainment for the nearly seventy-five thousand people who attend the annual event each year.
Join the committee
The Brookings Summer Arts Festival started with a group of citizens with an idea to put on an art festival and we are now the largest two-day arts festival in South Dakota. It takes a diverse group of volunteers to put the festival together and we could use your help. Members coordinate art and food booths, entertainment, children’s and antiques areas, parking, security, and so much more!
Please contact us at generalinfo@bsaf.com or (605) 692-2787 with any questions and for meeting times.
Festival Committees
Officers
Festival Chair | Shari Avery
Festival Co-Chair | Erin Keller & Brittney Green
Secretary | Barb Johnson
Treasurer | Jean Stoebner
Board of Directors
Philip Keller
Dave Huebner
Dan Kemp
Josh Bauman
Josilyn Ulvestad
Antiques Booths
Dan Kemp, Chair
Michele Kemp
Art Booths
Brittney Green
Cynthia Strande
Jean Stoebner
Michele Kemp
Erin Keller
Awards
Cynthia Strande, Chair
Brittney Green
Barb Johnson
Banner
Shari Avery, Chair
Visit Brookings Representative
Bridgit Burghardt
Children's Activities
Abby Keith, Chair
Artisan Food and Naturals
Josilyn Ulvestad, Chair
Brian Ulvestad
Luke Davidson
Entertainment
Sarah Weese, Co-Chair
Pete Egart, Co-Chair
Food Booths
Philip Keller, Chair
Jason Bain
Pat Stapleton
Les Nelson
Hospitality
Barb Johnson, Chair
Kim Nelson Dokken, Co-Chair
Darlene Dokken, Co-Chair
Michele Kemp
Jean Stoebner
Madeleine Rose
Jesse Gergen
Les Nelson
Ellen Herrboldt
Shari Avery
Information Booths
Shari Avery, Chair
Barb Johnson
Jean Stoebner
Chelsie Bakken
Madeleine Rose
Dan Kemp
Living History
Dave Huebner, Chair
Eileen Binkley
Park Cleanup
Jean Stoebner, Chair
Parking
Dave Huebner, Chair
Mark Widmark, East Gate
Craig Neumeister, West Gate
Matt Lagerstrom
Park Staking
Josh Bauman, Chair
Philip Keller, Co-Chair
Breann Julius
Brittney Green
Jason Bain
Barb Johnson
Madeleine Rose
Matt Lagerstrom
Josilyn Ulvestad
Park Representative
Breann Julius
Police Department Representative
Chief Michael Drake
Port-a-Potty
Ellen Herrboldt, Chair
Jason Bain
Program
Marisa TenBrink
Jesse Gergen
Publicity
Shari Avery, Chair
Cynthia Strande-Butler, Designer
Chelsie Bakken, Social Media
Safety & Security
Keven Perry
Josh Bauman
Shuttle Bus
Ellen Herrboldt, Chair
Jason Bain
Tee Shirt
Josh Bauman, Chair
Shari Avery
Web Page
Erin Keller, Chair
Shari Avery
Wi-Fi
Dan Kemp, Chair
Publicity
BSAF advertises in the regional four state area through radio, television, and print mediums.
Advertising agents may contact BSAF at publicity@bsaf.com