Argus Leader

‘THE HOPEFUL PATH OUR DREAMS TAKE’

Downtown Sioux Falls sculpture meets its five-year anniversar­y

One of Sioux Falls’ largest and beloved sculptures downtown has met its five-year anniversar­y this month. ● After completion of the Dignity sculpture in Chamberlai­n in 2016, South Dakota artist Dale Lamphere set out to create the Arc of Dreams, a steel sculpture stretching 300 feet over the Big Sioux River and inspired by blades of prairie grass. Lamphere’s arc represents the journey of a dream, with the 15-foot gap in the middle referring to the leap required to bring our fantasies to fruition. ● “The Arc of Dreams is the hopeful path our dreams take as they enter our consciousn­ess … and are ultimately entrusted to our faith in the future,” said 77-year-old artist laureate Lamphere.

Since its installati­on, many marriage proposals, weddings and family photos have taken place at the arc. Former SculptureW­alk director Jim Clark said in 2019 that more than 700 families donated to the Arc of Dreams and that the installati­on will continue to unite the city’s thriving arts community.

The anniversar­y will be acknowledg­ed Sept. 26 at SculptureW­alk’s 10th annual Taste of Sioux Falls fundraiser, taking place at Icon Events Hall. Tickets will go on sale for the event July 22.

Meanwhile, the Washington Pavilion will also honor the anniversar­y with a flavor-of-the-month at Parlour Ice Cream through July 26. Fifty cents of every “Arc of Creams” purchase will go toward SculptureW­alk Sioux Falls. The ice cream special is a coffee-infused cheesecake ice cream with graham cracker and caramel swirls.

The Arc of Dreams is located between Sixth and Eighth streets adjacent to the Cherapa Place business center.

Do you have a special memory from under the Arc of Dreams during the past five years? We’d like to help you share them! Please send pictures to ageorge@argusleade­r.com this month, including the date of when the image was taken, the occasion and who’s in the photo. Then, we’ll pull them together in a community gallery on the argusleade­r.com for you to visit time and again.