RAPIDS CITY, South Dakota – The Rapid City Arts Council (RCAC) is excited to present “Prairie Poetics,” a collaborative exhibition by artists Katie Beatta Hovden-Wolf and Ann Skaug. The exhibition will run from May 31st to August 24th, 2024 in the Ines and Milton Shaver Gallery at the Dahl Arts Center, with an artist reception on May 31st from 5-7 p.m. , which will also include an artist talk at 6 p.m.
“Prairie Poetics” explores the shared origin story of artists Katie Beatta Hobden-Wolf and Ann Skaug, who discovered similarities in each other after meeting at Black Hills State University (BHSU) in 2019. One of the parents of both artists is from Hettinger, North Dakota, and the other is from Bergen. , was born in Norway and lost both American-born parents during childhood or adolescence. Inspired by their parallel experiences, these works visually connect personal, familial, cultural, and historical lineages in the landscape along the western border of North and South Dakota. It is expressed in
Wolf and Skaug collaborated while attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) to create this exhibition using photography, poetry, material symbolism, and personal objects. Their works invite viewers into a space where time disappears, images become portals, and objects symbolize bodies. Both artists were named Chicago's Best Emerging Artists of 2023 by InsideHook.
Katie BH Wolff is a multidisciplinary artist working in printmaking, textiles, collage, sculpture, and writing. In 2020 she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art at Hills State University (BHSU) and in 2023 she earned a Master of Arts in Studio Art with an emphasis in printmaking at SAIC . Wolfe currently teaches at BHSU.
Anne Skaug is a Chicago-based artist who earned her MFA from SAIC in 2023 with a focus in fiber and materials studies. She currently works at the Arts of Life in Chicago.