“Who am I to be doing this?”

That’s a question Dale Lamphere says he’s asked himself many times. No doubt, it’s a question many of us have pondered as we break new ground.

Lamphere says he always reminds himself, “I am the voice today of untold ancestors who came before me. That helps me trust myself.”

The much-acclaimed sculptor from Sturgis shared that insight in the first annual South Dakota Arts Journal, which was mailed to South Dakota Magazine readers this month. The journal also features stories on dance, painters, music, theater, poetry and other highlights of our creative culture.

To tell the truth, our magazine staff also wondered “Who are we ….?” as we set out to create the arts journal. We’ve long felt that South Dakota’s arts world is rich with talent and diversity. We wanted to show it off in a new way. But could we capture that and convey it on the printed page?

Fortunately, we were able to partner with two fine groups, the South Dakota Arts Council and Arts South Dakota. Their leadership shared our premise that the South Dakota arts community has a unique spirit and soul, and that the artists have much to offer people in these fast-changing times.

Lamphere’s wisdom is timeless. He also noted that young people should not be afraid to make mistakes. “There’s an old saying in art, but it applies to everything, that you’re going to make 10,000 mistakes, so get busy making them.”

The journal’s readers will also find advice from Badger Clark and Oscar Howe, two giants of South Dakota culture who are now deceased.

Sioux Falls writer Rahele Megosha shares a poem that compares our bruised bodies to the trees in autumn. “We’re both left bare, forced to brace a cold that forces itself inside us ….” She concludes that life's hardships stay with us, “healed or not.”

Madeleine Scott, a ballet dancer from Sioux Falls, challenges the misconceptions that too often affect not just the arts but other aspects of life in South Dakota. “There are stereotypes about rural places that I think are just not accurate,” she says. Her goal is to build a “very edgy and yet sophisticated” contemporary ballet company.

“In Rapid City, we had these young men in cowboy hats and boots who’d show up because they wanted to see what this is all about,” Scott says. “Everywhere we go, we’ve had good support.”

The same is true of the arts journal. Everywhere we went, we found talented South Dakotans willing to share not just their talent but their wisdom and enthusiasm. As civilizations go, our state of South Dakota is in its infancy. Yes, we will probably make 10,000 mistakes along the way, but our artists give us inspiration and hope that we are on a good path.

We hope you feel that optimism as you read the South Dakota Arts Journal. If you are not a subscriber to South Dakota Magazine, you can find a copy at bookstores and select shops around the state — including Red Rooster Coffee Shop in Aberdeen, DDR Books in Watertown, the Dimock Cheese Factory in Dimock and Muddy Mo’s in Yankton. In Sioux Falls, the journal is available at the Old Courthouse Museum, Home Porch and Songbird Kombucha. We’ll soon add some shops west of the river. You can also order it online at southdakotamagazine.com.

Katie Hunhoff is the publisher of South Dakota Magazine, a bi-monthly publication featuring the people and places of our wonderful state. See more at www. SouthDakotaMagazine.com.