Legend Dale Lamphere
Artist & South Dakota Artist Laureate | 1987 Inductee
Dale Claude Lamphere was born in Wyoming in 1947 and grew up on a ranch in South Dakota. He became a famous artist known for creating beautiful sculptures that tell stories. His love for art started when he traveled to many countries as a college student, visiting museums and learning about different cultures. Dale combined these global experiences with memories from his childhood on the Great Plains to create unique works of art.
Dale’s first creations were called assemblages and were made from wood and other materials. Over time, Dale began using many materials such as clay, leather, and metal to make sculptures of landscapes, people, abstract objects, and art that reflected nature. One of his most famous sculptures is called Dignity of Earth and Sky, a 50-foot stainless-steel statue of a Native American woman near the Missouri River in South Dakota.
Dale has received awards for his art and teaches others about creativity and the importance of art. Dale Lamphere's passion for art and South Dakota's heritage continues to inspire people everywhere.
South Dakota Artist Laureate
In 2015, Dale was named South Dakota Artist Laureate. He was the first person named as an artist laureate in South Dakota since famous artist, Oscar Howe, was appointed to the position in 1960.
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Imagine your school has a special program where they pick one student every year because they are really good at drawing, painting, or making art. This student gets a special title, like Art Star of the Year, and they get to share their artwork with everyone, teach others about art, and help make sure people in the school know how cool and important art can be.
An Artist Laureate is kind of like that special student but for a whole state or country instead of just a school. The government picks an artist who they think is super talented and gives them a special title, like Artist Laureate. This artist then gets to show off their artwork, talk about why art is important, and help encourage others to appreciate and enjoy art in their area. So, it's a way to celebrate and honor someone who is really good at making art and wants to share that love with everyone else!
Watch Drive: A Profile of Dale Lamphere Below!
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Watch Drive: A Profile of Dale Lamphere Below! -
A Look at Dale’s Amazing Creations
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In 1989, South Dakota celebrated its centennial. To commemorate this occasion, Dale created the statues of Wisdom, Courage, Integrity, and Vision for the South Dakota State Capitol Building
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The Raymond Davis Jr. Memorial is located in Lead, South Dakota. The memorial honors Dr. Ray Davis, a chemist and physicist who studied neutrinos (a very tiny particle). In the 1960s through the 1980s, Dr. Davis was in charge of experiments to detect neutrinos at the Homestake Gold Mine in Lead. The neutrino experiments had to be done deep underground, so Dr. Davis helped install a gigantic tank in the gold mine - 4,850 feet underground (about the elevation of Denver, Colorado). Studying neutrinos may help scientists unlock the mysteries of the earth. Dr. Davis received the Nobel Prize in Physics for the experiments.
The Raymond Davis Jr. Memorial was designed and built by Dale Lamphere in 2015. The ring was created from a section of the giant 100,000-gallon tank.
Neutrinos are still being studied in the small town of Lead! The Homestake Gold Mine was converted to a world-class laboratory, now called the Sanford Underground Reseach Facility!
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Sculpture Walk Sioux Falls, a non-profit organization in South Dakota wanted to honor dreamers of the past, present and inspire dreamers of the future. They chose South Dakota Artist Laureate Dale Lamphere to create the Arc of Dreams.
Listen to Dale describe his inspiration for the stainless-steel sculpture, the process and the importance of following our dreams.
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Dale created sculptures and a chapel for The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception located in Washington, DC.
In 1993 & 1994, Dale designed and built The Chapel of Our Lady of Hope with funding from comedian and actor Bob Hope and his wife, Delores.
In 2012, Kateri Tekakwitha became the first Indigenous American to be made a Catholic Saint. To honor her, Dale was asked to create a sculpture of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha.
Click below to read the story of each:
The Chapel of Our Lady of Hope
Both creations are in the Hall of the American Saints in the Basilica.
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“Saint Kateri Tekakwitha,” Dale Claude Lamphere (1992), Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., USA.
Used with permission.
“Chapel of Our Lady of Hope,” Dale Claude Lamphere (1994), Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., USA.
Used with permission.
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Norm and Eunabe McKie of Rapid City were successful in the car business, and they wanted to give back to South Dakota.
Knowing of Dale’s work and great respect for the Native American community, the McKee’s chose Dale Lamphere to create the 50-foot statue, Dignity.
After years of planning and development, Dignity was dedicated on September 17, 2016, in Chamberlian, South Dakota where she overlooks the Missouri River.
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Understanding there is a connection between artwork and healing, Monument Health in Rapid City, South Dakota created a space in the lobby for public art. They turned to Dale to design the art for this special space. Dale and his wife, Jane Murphy, conceived the idea of involving artists from around the Black Hills in creating the Community Tapestry.
Listen to Dale and his partners describe the Community Tapestry which was completed in 2021.
Explore Dale’s Portfolio
D.C. Lamphere Studio. (n.d.). Lampherestudio.com. Retrieved January 3, 2024, from www.lampherestudio.com
Awards & Honors
1985 - Anna Hyatt Huntington Award from the American Artist Professional League in New York.
2013 - Governor’s Awards in the Arts for Creative Achievement
2015 to Present - South Dakota Artist Laureate
2016 - Founding Member of Arts South Dakota
2019 - Board of Directors of Arts South Dakota
Reflection:
After watching Drive: A Profile of Dale Lamphere, what message impacted your thinking?
Discuss the kind of support Dale requires as he creates pieces of art such as Dignity and Arc of Dreams.
What are some of Dale’s leadership characteristics?
Dale’s creations are diverse, representing many ideas, concepts, and cultures. What do you think allows Dale to capture the essence of each?
How does Dale inspire you?
“I think the most important thing was just the work ethic. To get up every morning and realize that what you did that day is gonna have a big influence on the immediate environment you’re in. And that drive to do that has carried me through all these 50 years of being an artist” (Iverson, 2023, 2:17).
Iverson, R. (Director). (2023). Drive: A Profile of Dale Lamphere [Film].