Happy Friday! Megan here.
Weather check: Goodbye coats, hello shorts
This week, you'll learn about how more than 20 local artists are raising money to support immigration law. You'll also find some fun features from our partners about a new wedding venue and inclusive swimming lessons. Then, you can slam the laptop shut and go sit in the sun until Monday. 🌞
And now, news:
COMMUNITY
How artists are banding together to 'Stand Up Against ICE'
Simplified: Audacious Hearts, a new community-focused art group, will host its first show later this month as a way to raise money for South Dakota Voices for Peace and support neighbors in knowing and protecting their rights when confronted by federal immigration enforcement officers.
Why it matters
- The Stand Up Against ICE art show and auction will take place Saturday, March 28 at Club David in downtown Sioux Falls. It'll be the first-ever event from Audacious Hearts, which was started by local artist Alex Lunstra, owner of A.L. Art & Prints.
- The idea originated from Lunstra when she was scrolling Facebook Marketplace and saw a listing for dozens of mannequins – just the bottom half. She decided to purchase them and make a call for art based on a desire to speak out against the violence and death she was seeing from ICE agents in Minneapolis and elsewhere. More than 20 artists were given a mannequin to use as their canvas.
- The ultimate goal is to make the world a better place through art, Lunstra said. She hopes people can see that art can be a basis for difficult conversation, confronting uncomfortable topics and working through challenging emotions.
"People are expressing their opposition to blatant civil rights violations and inhumane treatment against brown and black community members in so many different ways: art, music, rallies, vigils, church sermons, knitting hats etc.," said Taneeza Islam, executive director of South Dakota Voices for Peace. "Having different sectors intersect in this moment is building the momentum we need for demanding what our Constitution already provides – equal rights under the law."
Tell me more about the event
SIMPLIFIED PRESENTS
How kids with sensory needs can thrive in Adaptive Aquatics
This is a paid piece from SafeSplash Swim School.
Simplified: Not all kids thrive in a group setting when it comes to swimming lessons. SafeSplash's adaptive aquatics program meets kids on their terms to teach them water safety in a calm, one-on-one environment that caters to any special sensory or behavioral needs.
Why it matters
- Water safety is a critical skill for all kids, but swimming can be a challenging skill to acquire for kids who have sensory processing disorders, autism, or who are fearful of water. SafeSplash Director of Adaptive Aquatics Lea Johnson, a licensed occupational therapist, and her team are equipped to help them all.
- Johnson has helped kids who were scared to touch the water get to the point where they can put their face in and blow bubbles. She's also helped overeager kids learn appropriate boundaries and safety in the water. It all starts with building trust, she said.
- Adaptive Aquatics can also be an outlet for kids of all abilities to find a sense of accomplishment as they build on their skills – regardless of their starting point. Johnson and her highly trained team tailor lessons to meet each kid's unique needs.
"The water’s a very equalizing environment where everybody can participate, and everybody can be successful," Johnson said.
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TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- 🚧 It's officially orange cone season. Construction season has kicked off in Sioux Falls (but if you've been on north Minnesota Avenue, I don't have to tell you). The city this week shared updates on a number of major projects, including Arrowhead and Veterans Parkway, Russell Street, Cliff Ave & Interstate 229, Interstate 29 and 85th Street and more. You can keep tabs on all these projects and more on the city's website.
- Put your art on a bus. Sioux Area Metro this week announced a call for art inviting local artists to submit their work for a chance to be featured on a bus wrap. From those submissions, the Visual Arts Committee will select four winning designs, and those artists will be awarded $500 and a year of free bus rides. Learn more and enter here.
SIMPLIFIED PRESENTS
You can book your wedding in the new butterfly garden
This is a paid piece from the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium.
Simplified: The Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium is now taking 2027 bookings for weddings in its brand new butterfly garden – and if you're looking to tie the knot sooner, there's also still options for ceremonies in the existing butterfly house location. Here's what you need to know.
Why it matters
- Construction is underway on a reimagined butterfly garden, which is expected to open in 2027. It's the first major construction project of the zoo's "We Can't Wait" campaign – which is helping bring all Butterfly House & Aquarium exhibits to one shared campus at the zoo.
- The new butterfly garden is a $12 million project, and it'll include iconic features like an oversized lantern and an artistic tree of life – both of which will serve as idyllic locations for wedding ceremonies.
- The garden is located off the main plaza near the zoo's entrance and adjacent to the future aquarium and education center. It's great for weddings with as many as 40 people, but looking to the future, there will be spaces to have weddings at other areas around the zoo campus for as many as 200 or more, said La'Toria Horan, director of experience and engagement.
"It's an experience you won't find other places," Horan said. "And because of the tropical nature of the Butterfly Garden, it's a way to basically stay at home but still have a destination wedding."
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THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
*Denotes paid partnership
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
Thank you
Thank you to Sioux Falls Simplified sponsors, including SafeSplash Swim School, Wayne & Mary's Nutrition Center, Startup Sioux Falls, Encompass Mental Health, the Sioux Falls YMCA, EmBe, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, Barre3 Sioux Falls, the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium, the Washington Pavilion, The Premiere Playhouse, The Good Night Theatre Collective and the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance. When you support them, you're also supporting Sioux Falls Simplified.
Oh, by the way
Your feedback is extremely helpful – hit the reply button and send any news tips, typos, complaints, compliments or cups of coffee my way. ❤️
