March 3, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

When Susan Haygood first moved back to South Dakota from Phoenix, her painting was relegated to a corner of a metal barn on the family’s acreage near Garretson.

So when a space became available in town, “I decided I might as well just start a gallery studio,” said Haygood, who has been an artist for 45 years.

“I thought Garretson would be a great place to land a gallery.”

Artists slowly are starting to agree with her. And the Minnehaha County community is even expanding its town slogan from “City of Parks” – a nod to Palisades and others in the area – to “City of Parks and Arts.”

“We need to make Garretson a destination,” said community leader Kris Frerk, who also leads Southeast South Dakota Tourism. “Palisades is going to be significantly expanding, and we want people to make sure and drive the extra 2 miles to see what’s been transpiring in Garretson.”

The answer to that is a lot – especially when it comes to the arts.

Dakota Stained Glass & Supplies moved from Sioux Falls to Garretson with an ownership change in 2020.

Haygood’s Palisades Art Gallery is on track to open in the spring at 506 N. Main Ave. She’ll work from the space, specializing in equine and wildlife painting, and is eager to connect the arts community.

“I’d like to do a show every year for artists within 20 miles of Garretson featuring them, and I want to talk to the art teacher over at the school and do some kind of student show, and I do want a juried competition for regional artists,” Haygood said.

“I don’t really expect to make money off the gallery, but it’s more for exposure for the community and myself.”

The gallery could be a catalyst for First Friday-type events, including local music, Frerk said.

“We can promote all the artists,” she said. “I talked to Dakota Stained Glass, and they had ideas to do an open studio trail some weekend, and if artists don’t have studios, we could host them at various businesses in Garretson.”

One stop on such a tour likely would be King Skull Metal Works, which Andrew Langner started about five years ago to offer custom signs and AR500 steel targets.

“I grew up living close to a small town, so the quiet small-town living is nice, especially with raising a family,” he said.

A veteran-owned business, his work is sold at the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance in Sioux Falls and done by custom order for everyone from individuals to the Sioux Falls Storm. He has created railings for Badlands National Park and martial arts belt holders for a nationwide franchise.

“I’m doing a giant conference table for a local business, so pretty much any metal fabrication I’ll do,” he said. “I started making targets for shooting, and my buddy ended up buying way too much material, so I started an LLC and started manufacturing, and it snowballed from there.”

His signs even hang in Garretson to identify the city and its parks, and he’s working on one for a local bank.

“I cannot keep up with production,” he said.

Other artists also are finding success from a home base in Garretson. Robb Long, recently ranked among the industry’s top 200 advertising photographers by Lurzer’s Archive, has lived in the community for four years.

“I have seen other photographers grow their portrait and wedding businesses over the years so much so they’ve left their full-time jobs to open up their own shops here,” he said.

“I plan on offering classes and mentorships to the community this summer with other artists offering the same thing but in different mediums. There’s tons of potential for Garretson’s art scene to grow with all the great local artists that live here. I can see Garretson becoming a destination in the not-so-distant future for folks coming from all over to visit future art festivals put on by this great city.”