As people hurry along the various highways that cross North Central South Dakota, they may think of the landscape and the folks who live on the land as being plain, even uninteresting.  Upon closer inspection, though, beauty and wonderment abound.

 

Bruce Roseland, a writer of free verse, and Susan Melius, a photographer, have combined their efforts to try to open a window onto their particular section of the Missouri Coteau in hopes of encouraging everyone to see this land in the same way they do.  Bruce and Susan are neighbors, living about 20 miles apart in this overlooked region of South Dakota.  They have pooled their talents in writing and photography to create an art exhibit titled The Heart of the Prairie.

 

The exhibit is a showcase for the book they have collaborated to create, Church of the Holy Sunrise.  Both artists wish to draw attention to an agricultural and cultural landscape that is rapidly changing.

Heart of the Prairie is currently on exhibit at the Dakota Discovery Museum through July 15.     Copies of the book and prints are available for purchase.  A free admission public reception will be held for the artists on Sunday, June 3 at 5:00 pm.  Regular museum hours are 9 am to 5 pm. The museum is closed on Sunday and Wednesday. For more information call 605-996-2122 or visit www.dakotadiscovery.com.