Sioux Falls SculptureWalk winner gets permanent location

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The City of Sioux Falls dedicated the People’s Choice winner from the 2021 SculptureWalk to its long-term home downtown.

The intersection of 11th Street and Dakota Avenue in Sioux Falls has a new neighbor—a little girl, made of bronze, holding the Rosie the Riveter pose while standing atop a globe, broadcasting a message of empowerment and working together. The sculpture, titled We Can Do It!, was created by artists Lee Leuning and Sherri Treeby.

We Can Do It! received the 2021 “People’s Choice” award and was purchased by the City of Sioux Falls to be part of its permanent public art collection, which the City does every year with a winning sculpture from SculptureWalk Sioux Falls.

“The City of Sioux Falls is proud to support and celebrate this program that has brought beautiful and vibrant artwork to downtown Sioux Falls for more than two decades,” said Diane deKoeyer, Neighborhood and Preservation Planner for the City of Sioux Falls. “The City and Visual Arts Commission work closely every year to determine the best long-term homes for the City’s public art collection. We Can Do It! and its message of empowerment is a perfect fit for the work EmBe does to support women and families. We hope our neighbors who travel this intersection each day find it to be a helpful and powerful reminder of what we can do as individuals and as a community.”

While the sculpture is owned by the City of Sioux Falls, it will be located on EmBe’s downtown property.

“We hope that our community members stop down to see the new sculpture in front of EmBe,” said Kerri Tietgen, EmBe’s Chief Executive Officer. “The sculpture titled, We Can Do It, could not be a better fit for us. She is perfect!”

Previously, We Can Do It! was on display in front of the City Center (231 North Dakota Avenue). Sculptures are displayed there for about one year until a long-term home is found, and the next year’s winner replaces it. The 2022 winner, Elk by Travis Sorenson, is a recycled stainless steel and copper sculpture that is currently on display at the City Center location.

“It takes a village to pull off a SculptureWalk. From volunteers to board members to the staff at the Washington Pavilion, we just take a lot of helping hands. We are just really proud of the last 20 years and looking forward to 20 more,” said Cameron Ostrom, the Executive Director of the SculptureWalk.

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