This paid piece is sponsored by Travel South Dakota.

Everyone knows there’s always a little romance in the air in February.

There’s Valentine’s Day, after all. But don’t worry if you don’t have a sweetheart, missed the holiday or just aren’t in the mood. South Dakota offers plenty of perfect date-night — or date-day — places.

And, really, there’s nothing more romantic than loving where you’re from. If you feel the love, you can sign the pledge to be “Forever 605,” a promise to “be both a brave wanderer and passionate steward of the 605 state.” Plus, you get a free sticker!

Visual Arts Center

Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science, Sioux Falls

If you’ve been looking for that perfect blend of visual and performance arts, the Washington Pavilion has an event for you.

Erin Castle, curator for the Visual Arts Center, said a collaboration Thursday, Feb. 15, in the Everist Gallery mixes both arts. The Curious Music Collective, a string quintet, will play, along with a poetry performance by Lawrence Diggs. And there will be dancing.

Your attendance means you’ll get the first peek at the “Women: A Century of Change” exhibit by National Geographic. “This will be a really big show for the year,” Castle said. “These are incredibly famous photographs of women by many women.”

Castle said evening programs like the one this week are perfect for friends or even date night. “It’s a great chance for adults to come and roam at their own pace,” she said. A recent “Cosmos and Cocktails” event included the planetarium.

“It’s a great boredom-buster for adults,” she said. “We get really pent-up at home, and we get stuck. It’s a great way to explore on a cold winter evening.”

The Visual Arts Center has eight galleries, with a variety of exhibitions at any given time. It’s also open later on evenings when there are Broadway performances and special programming, giving guests another opportunity to explore. The galleries include everything from Native American art from the permanent collection and the Flandreau Indian School to works by Tom Dempster and Molly Fulton celebrating the heartland through paint and photography.

A tapestry exhibit is coming this spring that represents different ethnicities, Castle said. “It’s going to be really different, and something we haven’t seen. There also will be an immersive quality to the show.”

If you’re worried you aren’t enough of an art afficionado to enjoy the galleries, don’t be.

“People need to give themselves permission to just be in a space and really ponder what’s on the wall,” Castle said. “What I’m excited about for the National Geographic one is that people can immediately relate to photography because they know it’s real. There’s just the one barrier between the artist and their lens. These images are of women from all over the world. In my mind, it redefines what power is and what makes someone powerful.”

The exhibit also touches on love, beauty and joy, she said. It opens to the public Friday, Feb. 16.

National Music Museum

Vermillion

Imagine a solider carrying a violin with the name of his wife, “Mary,” carved into it. Imagine what the violin has seen, the music the soldier played on it, the thoughts he had.

You can immerse yourself in those thoughts at the recently renovated National Music Museum on the campus of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.

Carol Robertson, deputy director of the museum, said there’s something for everyone there.

“When we took down the previous exhibits, we realized that while everyone has music in their lives, not everyone plays a musical instrument,” Robertson said. The new exhibits connect through storytelling. “We talk about music as communication and expression, like Bob Dylan’s guitar and harmonica. We humanize these instruments by telling the stories of the people who owned them.”

Like the Civil War violin with the name of the soldier’s wife on it.

The museum was founded in 1973 and has holdings ranging from priceless Italian violins to celebrity guitars. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children younger than 18. USD faculty and students are admitted for free.

“We have our Indonesian gamelan, which is a whole experience by itself, and our guitar gallery with various instruments and the history of them and an instrument-making workshop as well,” Robertson said. “There is literally something for everyone.”

The museum also holds a spring concert series. That begins this week, and concerts are streamed online.

South Dakota Symphony Orchestra

Sioux Falls

There’s not much more moving than live music. And when it’s an entire orchestra, playing at the Washington Pavilion, it is a powerful experience.

The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra has been deemed ‘one of America’s boldest orchestras’ by Alex Ross, music critic with The New Yorker. Brandi Hartman, marketing manager, agrees.

“There are so many elements that make the SDSO great: innovative programming, a strong focus on living American composers, a drive for community outreach and a passion from the community that keeps the SDSO strong and thriving,” Hartman said. She credits music director Delta David Gier for much of that.

If you’re looking for a special night, she recommends the performance Feb. 24.

“Joyce Yang plays Rachmaninoff. The pianist is known for her virtuosity, lyricism and power of the piano,” Hartman said.

She said the orchestra can be accessible to anyone – no matter their background in classical music.

“Everyone hears something different, but everyone can have an escape for a while,” she said. “The world outside gets shut off, and you can be a part of a different world where the music leads your thoughts and feelings. This also makes it a great place for a date night!”

There are several performances still on the calendar, including with special guest conductor John Nelson, who is known for his choral expertise, she said. He will conduct “Brahms: A German Requiem” on March 23.

 Tickets to performances are available on the orchestra website, SDSymphony.org.

State of Create

South Dakota is filled with talent — and ways to appreciate the arts. The State of Create Passport is your mobile-exclusive guide to ensure you don’t miss any hidden gems.

Collect points by visiting stops included in the passport, and win prizes — from local artist sticker packs to custom South Dakota posters and T-shirts, or even an ENO hammock or South Dakota Osprey backpack.

Click here to get started.