Local Artists Collaborate on the Beauty of South Dakota in New Exhibition

Piper Arts is proud to present a collaborative exhibition of new works featuring Joshua Spies and Paul Schiller. The “Prairie Majesty – An Art Exhibition of the Great Plains” will run from October 11th, 2019 – November 30th, 2019 with an opening reception on Friday, October 11th from 5:00 PM – 8:00 pm. The exhibition will have pieces featuring charcoals and photography showcasing the beauty of South Dakota.

Joshua Spies is an international award-winning artist from Sioux Falls, SD. He earned his fine arts degree at South Dakota State University and has traveled the world creating a vast portfolio of drawings, paintings, charcoals, and photography. Joshua is a dedicated conservationist and, through his artwork, has helped raise millions of dollars for conservation projects locally and worldwide. After decades of travelling abroad, Joshua has a greater appreciation of the beauty and uniqueness of his home state and uses it as a catalyst for his new artistic pursuits.

Paul Schiller started his career as a photojournalist. He later co-founded Lawrence & Schiller and Five Star Call Centers with business partner Craig Lawrence here in Sioux Falls. He followed these successful ventures with “Acts of Nature” a company he and his wife Koni created to market their fine art nature images. Utilizing panoramic and macro photography to re-imagine scenes that go unnoticed, Schiller captures the remarkable diversity of South Dakota and the northern plains. His work appears throughout the Midwest in galleries, homes, corporate and healthcare facilities, including a permanent exhibit at the Al Neuharth Media Center at the University of South Dakota.

Showcasing the great plains of South Dakota, the “Prairie Majesty” exhibition will explore two artistic points of view of the same subject matter: a digital photographic capture by Paul Schiller vs. a traditional charcoal drawing of the same image by Joshua Spies.

The “Prairie Majesty” show will run through November 31, 2019. The artists will be present at the opening reception Friday, October 11th, 2019 from 5:00pm – 8:00 pm. Piper Arts is located at 1825 S Minnesota Ave, Sioux Falls, SD. Piper Arts gallery hours are Monday – Thursday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and Saturday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. For additional information, please contact Piper Arts at 605-339-0346.

Recently I had the opportunity to raise the value of a painting I own by firmly establishing its provenance by sitting down with the artist who made the work and learning how it came to be. Around 2012, I was offered the opportunity to purchase a painting by Eyob Mergia for well below market value from a charitable organization that received the painting as a donation. What spurred me to make the purchase was the beautiful color, specifically a mixture of pink, peach and orange colors that vibrate as a background for several brown and blue figures. The color in this painting engages my senses every day as I pass it by or sit in a chair looking at it. Even though I knew nothing about the creation of this painting, I enjoyed having it in my home.

In November Jon Piper told me that Eyob would be visiting his shop, Piper Arts (formerly Piper Custom Framing and Fine Art Gallery), for a few days in the following week. I asked Jon if I could drop off my painting to be signed and if possible meet with Eyob to get the story behind the painting. Jon arranged a meeting and I sat down and talked with Eyob.

Eyob explained to me that he painted this picture in 2010. One evening he had gone out to a bar downtown with several friends and when he arrived back at his studio that night he started this painting to commemorate the enjoyable experience he had just had. He further explained that at that point he was learning a lot from the work of Pablo Picasso and African Art and these two influences can be seen in the painting. He then told me the painting is called “Saturday Night.” Eyob did sign the painting and I have an audio recording of him telling me about the painting and the circumstances that brought it into existence.

For six years I had hung the painting unframed on my living room wall. I took this opportunity to have Jon put a simple black box frame around the painting to both protect the surface and to set it off from the wall. Now the painting is a whole new experience for me. The physical object is more dominant, more impressive and my interest has been renewed. My family have all been surprised by how its place in the room has been strengthened and made new.

We collect art mostly for the stories an artwork can tell us about ourselves. An opportunity to learn more about that story through a discussion with the artist is one way to make the ownership experience better. Well thought out framing and presentation makes the story richer for all viewers, and of course, getting the painting signed by the artist is always a smart thing to do. I feel lucky for the opportunity that presented itself to meet with the artist, and hear the back-story; it made a treasured object even more meaningful.