Overview
Inventors Congress
T-BED series of
invited speakers
Alliance Partners
Board

QUALITY OF LIFE

ENTERTAINMENT

Cultural Activities

Cowboy boots, pickup trucks, high plains grassland and pine-covered mountains may give Rapid City a western flair and easy-going lifestyle, but living or visiting Rapid City also creates a striking atmosphere for music, art, and drama.

The arts are an important part of the community and growing strong, thanks to dedicated support from civic minded volunteers, educators and a government that is interested in supporting the variety that the arts can add to city life.

A close-to-nature spirit that prevails over much of life in Rapid City is enhanced through the efforts of 75 churches. Congregations of all sizes and denominations worship in varied facilities. Two of the most impressive include Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral and the dramatic Stave Kirk. Stave Kirk is an exact copy of an ageless, hand constructed, all wood church seen in the small towns of Norway. There is one Jewish Synagogue and one Mormon Church.

The downtown fine arts center, city supported symphony and band as well as an active group theater, provide ample opportunity for those interested in joining or watching the arts.

The Dahl Fine Arts Center, a $600,000 gift from the late banker, A. E. Dahl and his wife, has become the hub of cultural activity. Its focal point is a 200-foot circular mural that depicts the development of America from the landing of Columbus to the space age. Famous muralist and western artist Bernard Thomas was commissioned to paint the "Cyclorama," the largest work of its kind in the Western United States.

Other features in the Center include the Dakota Art Gallery where permanent and traveling exhibits offer the best in painting and sculpture. Group Theater is also home based in the Center's 150-seat auditorium that is just right for any kind of stage production or musical performance.

Aside from the organized activity of varied art forms in Rapid City and the Black Hills, the entire region is fast becoming home and a place of inspiration for many fine artists. The varied beauty of the Black Hills and startling openness of the prairie and its endless skyline offer countless opportunities for painters, photographers, sculptors and innovative artists of all kinds. The following are just a few of the groups and activities involved in cultural affairs:

Dakota Artists Guild makes a primary emphasis on art education in the community by providing art classes and workshops, special exhibits, competitions, and community awareness programs. The Guild operates the Dakota Art Gallery in the Dahl Fine Arts Center, which features the works of many local and regional artists.

Rapid City Fine Arts Council is a service agency for artists, arts organizations, and the arts-interested public that work with civic and professional organizations to raise the level of arts awareness in the area.

The Rapid City Concert Association sponsors a five concert season which brings nationally and internationally known professional musicians to the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Theater stage. The season focuses on classical music with one or two lighter programs.

The Rushmore Plaza Civic Center presents a myriad of cultural events to suit a variety of tastes. Each year, the Civic Center presents Rapid City with Jazz, Family Entertainment, and Broadway productions.

The Black Hills Symphony Orchestra plays five subscription concerts plus a Kinder concert each season at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Theater. Nationally recognized artists have performed with the Symphony which sponsors the Young Artist Concerto Competition for talented students each year.

The Black Hills Chamber Music Society provides performance opportunities in concert and recital formats for local and regional musicians.

Back Room Productions, Inc. provides performance opportunities for local musicians, poets, writers, and other types of artists, or opportunities to become involved in the production end of events.

The Black Hills Dance Theater, Ltd. sponsors performances by nationally respected companies for the public. The theater sponsors an annual intensive dance seminar, offers master classes and dance scholarships.

The Black Hills Community Theater produces a five play season annually using Rapid City regional talent. It is an amateur theater with a paid business manager and artistic and technical directors.

The Black Hills Playhouse is a semi-professional summer theater located in Custer State Park. It serves as a training center for talented young theater artists and young theater professionals. The season includes four theater productions and a musical.

Storybook Island Children's Theater is a popular, creative summer theater for children visiting Storybook Island. It combines song, dance, music and plays.

The Black Hills Pow Wow is an annual 4-day summer event that draws Native Americans from the Northern Plains and across the nation for competitions and art expositions.

The Journey, a $12.5 million state-of-the-art museum of world-class quality and size opened in Rapid City in 1997 climaxing decades-long efforts to make it a reality. The Journey provides a high-tech trip through 2.5 billion years of Black Hills history in its 48,000 square feet of floor space, built and operated by the City of Rapid City. It incorporates the collections of four outstanding museums and a private collection into a sweeping pageant of the history and evolution of the Black Hills, both geologic and human.

The School of Mines and Technology Museum of Geology, a major geological museum of the Midwest region, displays early fossil mammals and dinosaurs. These fossils preserve and interpret the geologic diversity of South Dakota. The rock and mineral collection is international in scope and features a black light room for viewing.

The South Dakota Air and Space Museum, located at Ellsworth Air Force Base, is dedicated to preserving the aviation heritage of South Dakota. Displays provide a look back in time to military aviation and space technology.

Restaurants

Dining out is one of life's great adventures and pleasures! And much of the enjoyment comes in making a choice from the many types of cuisine available in Rapid City. Out here food is king. We grow it. We raise it. We help feed the world. And we eat it! Out here we have a long tradition of setting a good table, no matter what! In this outstanding ranch country it's not surprising that steak is featured so often, but don't overlook the excellent seafood available, as well as a host of other entree favorites. We also have a nice blending of ethnic foods to spice up menus.

Public Library System

The Rapid City Public Library's collection of 112,000 volumes and more than 350 newspapers and magazines offers something to read, view or hear for a wide range of interests. Strong growth areas are in business and audio-visual materials. Its South Dakota collection includes many hard-to-find items for historical research. Specially commissioned art works add touches of interest to a spacious reading area. Also available are films, records and framed art works.

Shopping Opportunities

Rapid City has long held a leadership position as the shopping center for the Black Hills. Downtown is filled with traditional banking, legal, government and professional services as well as long-established specialty shops and retail outlets that offer a full range of goods and services for any kind of shopper. Other shopping centers and modern malls have naturally followed the growth of the city. The three major shopping areas include Rushmore Mall, Baken Park and historic downtown.