The Founding Gifts: Ben Reifel
Vest, early 20th century, brain-tanned deerskin, cotton cloth, green silk ribbon, dyed porcupine quills, sinew thread. South Dakota Art Museum Collection, 2004.05.12. Gift of Loyce R. Anderson.
Ben Reifel (1906–1990), born on the Rosebud Reservation, was the first Lakota person elected to the U.S. Congress, serving five terms following a distinguished career with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. A passionate advocate for the arts, Reifel loaned his personal collection of Plains art to the South Dakota Art Museum in 1977, founding its first Native American collection, which his family later donated permanently. This exhibition showcases select pieces from that collection, many with deep personal connections to Reifel.
As a unit of ºù«Ӱҵ, South Dakota Art Museum receives significant operational support from the university. Additional support is provided by the South Dakota Arts Council (with funds from the State of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts) and museum members and donors.
