THEY TRULY BROUGHT THE ARTS ALIVE FOR S.D. How the Thurmans unified and celebrated our arts culture Story by Katie Hunhoff
A
RTS ALIVE was the first publication in South Dakota to bring together art enthusiasts and organizations throughout the state. Stephen and Catherine Thurman have given voice to that unification since 1981, when they began working with the South Dakota Arts Council (SDAC). Charlotte Carver, the council’s founder and first executive director, enlisted the Thurmans to write press releases for the new organization. Soon they were delving into newsletters, annual reports and public relations campaigns, beginning their decades-long passion for uniting South Dakotans around the arts. Stephen and Catherine were married in Sioux Falls in 1980. They soon started a public relations firm, Thurman and Thurman, and specialized in advertising and
corporate communications. Stephen is a writer and Catherine is a graphics designer. Both are also talented photographers. Stephen remembers those early days of Arts Alive. “In the summer of 1998, then SDAC assistant director Jocelyn Hanson came to our office with the idea for a large publication that would actually cover the arts across the state, rather than simply reporting on the Arts Council programs,” he says. “At a Deadwood meeting of the SDAC and then-advocacy organization South Dakotans for the Arts, we presented our design for an oversized publication with standing columns for the advocacy group and SDAC, along with stories on community arts councils, community arts events and trends in the arts across the state. The groups approved and in the fall of
W
ithout a doubt, the Arts Alive magazine has had a positive impact in promoting the arts in South Dakota. Stephen’s crisp and interesting writing and Catherine’s eye for color, layout and design have created a publication many South Dakotans look forward to receiving and reading. The arts are clearly alive in South Dakota, and the Thurmans deserve much of the credit for helping to spread that story across the state. — Michael Pangburn, former director of the SDAC
ArtsSouthDakota.org • Winter 2022 Member Edition • 5
