This is a paid piece from the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium.

Simplified: It takes a lot to keep the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium running, but beyond animal care, there's also a lot of attention that goes into making the campus welcoming and engaging with signage, murals and artwork. Here's a look behind-the-scenes at the artists who make it all happen.

Why it matters

  • The Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium (SFZA) has worked with a number of local artists over the years, who've done everything from face painting to chalk designs to crafting the murals to the signs that educate and inform visitors.
  • Those artists are also helping craft the future vision of the organization. Patty Solis, a freelance photographer and graphic designer, has done much of the signage guests see around both the zoo and aquarium, and she's also working on an updated logo to reflect the now-merged organizations.
  • Additionally, as the zoo invests in new habitats and expansion, artists are helping create beautiful and engaging spaces for both the animals and the visitors. That includes murals from local artists from untitled.10, Zach DeBoer and Hannah Stromseth, who most recently created a tree mural in the gift shop.
    • Just this week, the zoo received a grant from the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation's Community Fund to support two new murals – which Stromseth will create – along the Americas building.
"I'm eager to continue to beautify and honor the animals of the Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium," Stromseth said. "These next two murals will invite guests and employees to stop and look a little closer, enjoy the color and vibrancy of the artwork, all while showcasing conservation."

Tell me more about the artists

For Solis, working with the zoo is a way to align her artistic skills with her values of supporting animals, supporting conservation and creating a space for families in Sioux Falls.

  • In her time working with SFZA, Solis has helped design signage for various exhibits including the penguins, lions, rhinos, buffalos and the pollinator garden.
  • Solis has also designed the signs for both the aquarium and the butterfly conservatory at the Butterfly House and Aquarium campus.
"They keep me very busy, and I love it," Solis said. "It's such a fun client to work with."

Another local visual arts organization, Untitled.10, worked with the zoo and several local artists to create a display in the lobby, and the group has also curated several art shows in partnership with SFZA.

Stromseth first started working with the zoo as a face painter, and went on to create chalk murals for events and ultimately do some permanent murals. Her tree project in the gift shop is an homage to both the animals and the employees that make the zoo special.

  • Within the tree, there are nine animals for guests to find, and each animal has the names of zoo employees hidden within them.

Artist Zach DeBoer created murals in both the black bear and indoor primate exhibits.

What happens next?

Starting this weekend, guests will be able to find an "I Spy" style sheet to find animals in Stromseth's mural in the gift shop.

  • Guests on Saturday can also enjoy the zoo's Watermelon Smash event Saturday. Starting at 11:15 a.m., guests will get to enjoy watermelon while also watching the bears eat the same snack.