WHERE STILL LIFE MEETS NIGHT LIFE
There’s nothing minimalist when it comes to art and culture here. Historic and contemporary architecture, colorful fields and prairies that stretch to the horizon, close-knit communities with bustling streets provide an inspirational backdrop for artists and art enthusiasts alike.
From the Enchanted Highway to the Medora Musical; from moving pictures to the Makers Movement; from art and wine walks to popup parks, North Dakota is brimming with a bevy of year-round entertainment options to stir the soul and expand the mind. Add showy casinos, big-name concerts, locally loved acts, festivals and the theater, and we’ve got a cultural smorgasbord with something to please nearly every palate.
Of course, there’s more to this burgeoning movement than what meets the eye and that’s an appreciation for where we’ve been and where we’re going. For centuries, North Dakota has been a place where Native American tribes, explorers and immigrants have richly influenced the history and culture of our state. Native Americans made their homes across the state. The Lewis & Clark Expedition ventured through on its way to and from the Pacific Ocean. Immigrants from Norway, Sweden and Germany helped settle our state. Now, historical sites, museums and events tell these stories and much more. Local arts councils play an important role in advocating, encouraging and developing heritage and cultural awareness—renewing our sense of place, and helping to build healthy communities with an enviable quality of life.
And the arts mean business. North Dakota’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generates millions of dollars in economic activity and supports 4,006 jobs annually.
Immerse yourself in the renaissance that’s coloring our communities here in North Dakota and get your culture on.
LINKS & RESOURCES
ARTISAN SPOTLIGHT
Gary Greff – Enchanted Highway Sculptor
For more than 28 years, Gary Greff has been turning his oversized ideas into Guinness World record-setting sculptures that line the aptly named Enchanted Highway. A retired teacher turned metal sculptor from Regent, ND, Greff is crafting scrap metal—including oil tanks, oil well pipes, barbed wire and wired mesh (and an occasional telephone pole)—into giant, whimsical, North Dakota-inspired works of art.
