South Dakota Mines and the Rapid City
Arts Council have
entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to continue collaborating in
the areas of arts and STEM.
Under the MOU, the two
organizations agree to explore opportunities for collaboration that might
include such things as:
●
Staff
exchanges
●
Joint
research activities and publications
●
Encouragement
of education and professional development for staff
●
Student
participation
“We are excited to continue
exploring ways to partner with the Rapid City Arts Council,” says Mines
President Jim Rankin, Ph.D. “This MOU not only benefits the university and Arts
Council, but the broader Rapid City community as well.”
South Dakota Mines and the
local art community already have a history of collaborating, and this MOU
simply strengthens that relationship, says Jon Kellar, PhD, professor in the Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
Department at South Dakota Mines.
For example, when a group
of contemporary artists were interested in incorporating local minerals into
their pieces, they worked with Kellar and used the Mines lab to help
characterize and process the minerals for use with ceramics.
Matthew Whitehead, lecturer at Mines and director of the APEX Gallery on campus, said in the past, Mines has also offered summer
programs for educators that focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and
math (STEAM) projects. Project areas included glassblowing, welding and
ceramics.
Jacqui Dietrich, director of the Rapid City Arts Council, said another
example is metalwork and casting. “Our community arts center doesn’t have the
space to be able to provide studio or sculpture equipment,” she said. “But we
have artists who could use and benefit creatively from these resources that
would also serve the student body.” With this MOU, there is the possibility of
working out an arrangement where the Arts Council uses Mines facilities for
such community education classes. “There’s such a huge potential for cross
pollination of arts and engineering in this community,” she says.
Into the future, the MOU
will help to solidify the relationship in existing and new areas, Whitehead
said. For instance, the Rapid City Arts Council would like to expand
photography resources. Whitehead would like to offer a photography class to
students. If the Council is able to add equipment, Whitehead could explore
using the Council facilities for a class. “We can explore all the
possibilities,” he says. “It’s exciting.”
South Dakota Mines is not
new to the arts-in-engineering philosophy.
Mines introduced its new Arts + Engineering program in 2022, funded through a grant from the National Science
Foundation. The program integrates art concepts into undergraduate engineering
programs with the goal of increasing student innovation, creativity,
collegiality and entrepreneurship “while broadening the undergraduate talent
pool.”
“It’s about innovation and
creativity,” says Kellar. “And ultimately preparing and graduating quality
engineers.”
Dietrich said the MOU
between Mines and the Rapid City Arts Council builds upon a strong relationship
that already exists and opens the door for opportunities for local arts,
community members and students at Mines. She’s excited for what’s to come. “This
is just a really unique partnership to foster interest in pursuing additional
artforms,” she says. “It’s an opportunity to deepen the relationship in a way
that will enhance community resources and creativity.”