Showing 3 results

This collection is composed of materials produced by the Visual Arts Department at South Dakota State University and reflects the department’s educational, creative, and promotional activities. It includes programs, posters, pamphlets, mailers, photographs, newsletters, institutional reviews, and documentation of faculty, student, and alumni exhibitions. Notable events represented include the Annual Juried Student Exhibition, the Alumni Exhibition, faculty exhibitions, and a variety of senior shows. Also present are records related to the Ritz Gallery, including retrospective exhibitions, thematic showcases, and promotional materials.

The collection contains examples of student academic work, including projects from Art History courses—such as the Wacipi and September 11th Projects—and features contributions from visiting artists and faculty, including international visitors and presenters. Additional items of interest include a scrapbook created by members of the Delta Phi Delta Art Fraternity, which contains clippings, memorabilia, and original artwork, as well as photographs of early art faculty such as Ada B. Caldwell and Maud Goddard.

This collection is significant for documenting the evolution of art education and visual culture at SDSU, highlighting the department’s emphasis on both academic study and public exhibition. It provides insight into student and faculty creativity, the development of art curricula, and the broader role of the arts on campus and beyond.

The Norman Gambill Papers document the academic, administrative, and creative work of Dr. Norman P. Gambill, professor of art history and long-time head of the Visual Arts Department at South Dakota State University. The collection spans his professional career and includes materials that predate his tenure at SDSU. It comprises administrative files, curriculum materials, records of events and conferences, facilities planning documents, teaching files, grant and fundraising records, meeting files, personal and professional research, and extensive manuscript drafts.

Administrative files include correspondence, memos, calendars, departmental planning documents, and records related to staffing and enrollment. Curriculum materials reflect institutional program reviews, curricular development, and planning for general education and visual arts coursework. The collection also contains records from numerous departmental events, exhibitions, and fundraisers—including Evening for the Arts, DVAGI, and the TechSigns conference—as well as documentation related to the development and use of campus facilities.

Teaching materials include course outlines, study guides, and media, while the grants and fundraising series includes proposals, awarded grants, and event planning files. Meeting files span faculty, department head, and university-level committees, often overlapping in content and structure.

The research and activities series highlights Gambill’s scholarly interests and involvement in arts organizations, with materials such as correspondence, bibliographies, photographs, and conference participation. The manuscript series includes multiple annotated drafts of his unpublished works, most notably Ritz and American Mediocrity, Designing Hollywood: Productions of Harry Horner, and his Ph.D. dissertation, Citizen Kane: An Art Historical Analysis.

This collection provides a view of Norman Gambill’s intellectual legacy and contributions to art history, film studies, and arts administration. His leadership shaped the growth and visibility of SDSU’s Visual Arts Department, and his scholarship reflects deep engagement with American cultural history, design, and cinema. The materials offer valuable insights into curriculum development in the arts, interdisciplinary teaching, academic administration, and arts advocacy in the Midwest.

The Helen J. Van Zante Endowment Collection documents the impact of the Van Zante endowment in advancing the visual arts at South Dakota State University. The collection includes materials related to visiting artists such as Chris Casady, David Joshua, Carol Hepper, Dennis Holm, Thomas Huck, Roy McKelvey, Ron Stucki, and Steve Welch. It contains event programs, student essays, videos, posters, and publications that reflect a wide range of campus art initiatives. The records highlight exhibitions, professional engagement, and academic contributions made possible through the endowment, including the Design Forum, Visual Wave: Daktronics Alumni and Employees, and the Visiting Professorships in the Visual Arts.

The collection offers insight into the cultural and educational efforts supported by the Helen J. Van Zante Endowment. Through artist residencies, student engagement, and public programming, the endowment fostered creative expression, professional development in the arts, and collaboration between the university and broader community in the fields of design and visual media.