This paid piece is sponsored by Washington Pavilion Management Inc.
Kaia Hedrick had a hint of what she’d discover with a trip to her friend Phyllis Jorgenson’s home — but she wasn’t fully prepared for what she’d find on almost every wall.
“I have a deep appreciation for original and unique art, and I knew Phyllis was a painter because I’d seen her work in a mutual friend’s house, but when I arrived, I discovered it was on every wall of her home,” she said.
But at 91 years old, Jorgenson has had plenty of time to paint.
She estimates that it started when her children were still in high school in the early 1970s, first on ceramics and then on canvas. She met friends to paint in a church basement, belonged to a group of artists in Pierre when she lived in the area and then found places in Sioux Falls to take small-group lessons when she and her late husband, Glenn, moved here in 1987.
She was inspired to begin painting one day as it was just getting dark on the family farm between Hayti and Lake Norden and she was going out to bring the horses in.
“It was just so pretty, and I thought, ‘A camera can’t do this,’” she said. “So I’d like to somehow capture those moments.”
When Hedrick saw the talent in Jorgenson’s beautiful works, she decided to see if it couldn’t find a bigger audience.
A former special projects coordinator at the Washington Pavilion, she reached out to the curators.
“I just threw it out there and asked if they would come check out this artwork,” she said.
They did.
“We just think she’s such a sweet lady and really enjoyed learning about her,” said Jana Anderson, lead curator at the Visual Arts Center.
“We thought she deserved a spotlight. This is really beautiful work that was made in Sioux Falls for such a long time, and it deserves to be seen by the public.”
As the Pavilion team toured Jorgenson’s home, they chose about 30 pieces from a collection of about 100 to display.
“She looked up at us and said, ‘Why do you think this is interesting?’ And we said: ‘Phyllis, it’s because you are interesting. You have a story about every painting — why you painted it, what you were thinking about, your friends or family history or a location that was important,” Anderson said.
“We just thought those little stories were really beautiful, and now the community can see the impact of this artwork.”
The work became “A Storied Life: Artwork by Phyllis Jorgenson,” currently on display in the Visual Arts Center’s University Gallery.
“I just said, ‘Are they sure?’” Jorgenson said. “There are so many, many, better artists.”
But there’s only one life story like hers, reflected in her work and dating back to the early 1900s when her grandmother’s family homesteaded what was one of the final remaining pieces of land in South Dakota.
“Proving Up”
“I love hearing the stories behind them,” longtime friend Dennis Hoffman said. “They tend to be focused on South Dakota, and the visuals themselves are very impressive. Because we’re talking to the artist, there’s always a story.”
Years ago, he made prints of “Proving Up” to give to donors to Volunteers of America, Dakotas, which he leads as CEO.
It was a meaningful gift because while you wouldn’t guess it at a glance, behind Jorgenson’s paintings is a life that includes overcoming plenty of pain.
In 1970, her husband, Glenn, was coping with relentless and unexplainable headaches. He became addicted to prescription opioids and further self-medicated with alcohol. Jorgenson helped him seek treatment, leading to his recovery, and together they turned their experience into a mission.
Together, they felt led by faith to found River Park, South Dakota’s first nonprofit, privately funded addiction treatment center. Their work not only transformed countless lives but also changed societal perceptions, helping to dismantle the stigma surrounding addiction.
While her life story includes witnessing her share of struggles, it’s not immediately evident in Jorgenson’s work. Looking back, it might have served as a sort of outlet for her, she said.
“They’re not dark,” she said. “And I always remember the phrase ‘Whatever is lovely and wonderful, think on these things.’ And that was one of the things I hung onto.”
Even though she is a largely self-taught and prolific artist, Jorgenson’s work has “a really beautiful quality,” Anderson continued. “She taught herself so much about color and light and at times would paint with other people. We have two paintings in the exhibition of the same flower bouquet, and she painted one, and her mother painted the other.”
The museum’s visitors have enjoyed the work, especially the elementary school groups that have toured so far, Anderson said.
“I was in the gallery once when a bunch of kids were coming through, and the teachers were talking about Phyllis, and it was fun to see the kids picking out their favorite pieces and looking at Phyllis’ work like any other artist in a museum — to see her being celebrated as an elevated artist was really cool.”
Jorgenson was able to watch a video of the students touring the exhibit.
“I didn’t know it would take over the whole place,” she said, laughing. “I thought it would just be one wall in a room.”
The exhibition is open just until April 20 and represents an element of the opportunity the Visual Arts Center presents to recognize the work being done locally.
“We were fortunate to be connected with this collection of paintings hiding out in Sioux Falls,” Anderson said. “But we know there’s hidden talent all over the city.”
As for what will happen to the work after the exhibition is over, it’s not quite clear yet.
“I don’t have room for them,” Jorgenson acknowledged. “But I also don’t want them sold in bulk in a box somewhere.”
Thanks to Hedrick, they’ve all been catalogued for posterity with descriptions, but Jorgenson is open to other options that might arise.
“I have some connections in the art world,” Hedrick said. “My goal is to help her find a place for all of it.”
To learn more about the exhibition, click here.