culture is community
Greetings!

It's hard to believe the end of summer has already arrived! But, as always, this end signals other new beginnings as USD students return to town, our Tanagers go back to school, and (of course) early Oscar contenders begin to arrive on screen.

For us, this summer's high points included a record-breaking month of July and the completion of one of the VCA's original goals. First, thanks to your attendance at Toy Story 4, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Child's Play, The Lion King, and Yesterday, July 2019 now goes on the books as our highest-grossing month in the movie business. We hope you carry that glow of summer blockbuster magic into your autumn endeavors and come back to see us as school activity schedules permit. We'll be re-instituting our "save it for side 2" strategy this fall, so keep an eye on release dates at vermilliontheaters.com—a movie may not arrive "on the break" as our film booker says, but you can likely still catch it in town at the Coyote Twin!

Second, two years ago Vermillion Cultural Programming set out to raise funds to replace the roof on the historic Vermillion Theater and this summer we did it! The new roof was completed in July thanks to Weatherguard Urethane Roofing & Insulation LLC. Fixing the roof was the first step in our longterm plans for renovating the space—now that we're watertight, we can really start dreaming. Learn more about how and who raised our roof at vermculture.org.

As Vermillion bustles with activity, so does the VCA. We have some phenomenal art to share with you and a bevy of special events planned in partnership with local organizations and institutions—just how we like it. Scroll down to see what's to come!
Art Works: New Deal–Era Art Coming to Downtown Vermillion
September 2–7 the VCA is hosting Art Works: The New Deal Lives On , a joint exhibit with the USD University Art Galleries , in the First Dakota Coyote Gallery at 12 E. Main Street. Art Works will feature prints commissioned by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s and 1940s from the University Art Galleries permanent collection. Learn more about the WPA and the planned exhibit HERE.
 
A short series of talks on local ties to the history of the WPA, the collection of prints, and the artists who created them will be held from 11:00am to noon, on Saturday, September 7, followed by a tile-painting workshop where participants can create a piece to contribute to a USD student–led public art mosaic project and enjoy New Deal–era songs performed by the Public Domain Tune Band from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.

In conjunction with the exhibit and in the spirit of the era, RED Steakhouse will also feature drinks from the 1930s during the week of September 2, including the Hanky Panky , the Last Word , and the Bee's Knees .
Celebrate Vermillion's Newest Art Addition Thursday, September 19
You may have noticed the VCA and the Vermillion Community Mural Project have been busy painting the town again this summer. Thanks to the time and talent of lead artists Reyna Hernandez, Elizabeth Skye, and Inkpa Mani, the back wall of the Coyote Twin Theater, facing City Hall, has been transformed into a stunning tribute to indigenous women. Come celebrate this vibrant addition to our downtown on Thursday, September 19 at 5:30. We'll gather at the mural behind the Coyote Twin Theater to share food and say a few words of dedication and gratitude before heading over to the Oscar Howe Memorial Lecture on American Indian Art at 7:00pm.

This mural, titled Eúnkićhetupi (Come Back to Life), is the first side of a planned diptych that will wrap the northeast corner of the Coyote Twin building. The second portion is planned for next summer, and fundraising for the project will begin this fall.

The central figure of Eúnkićhetupi is based on a photo of a Native woman found in the W. H. Over Museum archive. Together with the star quilt pattern featuring an eagle, the mother breastfeeding is an allusion to the Sioux creation story in which a woman is carried by an eagle to the top of a hill, away from the flood waters, where she bears twins who are the first of the Sioux people. See the mural painting in action and hear from the lead artists in this KDLT News spotlight and learn more in this piece featured in the Vermillion Plain Talk.

Other contributors to the mural project include Jenae Porter and dozens of Vermillion community residents, all under direction of USD Department of Art professor Amber Hansen. This project is supported by the Bush Foundation through the Change Network, the Vermillion Area Community Fund, USD College of Fine Arts, and Native American Cultural Center. Several local businesses have donated their time and resources to help prepare the wall and execute the painting, including Vermillion’s Ace Hardware, Midwest Ready Mix & Equipment, Inc., Curran Roofing, and Mart Brothers Construction, Inc.
COMING SOON TO THE COYOTE TWIN
Keep up with release dates and get tickets ahead of time at vermilliontheaters.com!
AUTUMN EVENTS & SPECIAL SCREENINGS
The Art Works lecture series will begin at 11:00am, followed by a tile-painting workshop where participants can create a piece to contribute to a USD student–led public art mosaic project and enjoy music by the Public Domain Tune Band from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. Featured speakers include Amy Fill, director of University Art Galleries; Gary Lipshutz of the Sioux City OLLI, and art historian Dr. Lauren Freese of the USD Department of Art. Join us in the First Dakota Coyote Gallery at 12 E. Main.
September's Chick Flick pick is Under the Tuscan (2003) , starring Diane Lane. Admission, any size popcorn, and a glass of wine just $15. Everyone always welcome! Monday, September 9, 7pm at the Coyote Twin.
The Vermillion Public Library is bringing The Public (2018) to the Coyote Twin Theater! Written and directed by Emilio Estevez and featuring an ensemble cast of stars, the movie tackles some of our nation's most challenging issues—homelessness and mental illness—and sets the drama inside one of the last bastions of democracy-in-action: your public library. Saturday, September 14, 1pm at the Coyote Twin. Free admission!
After a day of revels at the VAAC's First Gear Steampunk Pirate Festival come see modern classic The Princess Bride (1987) for FREE at the Vermillion Theater! We'll have beer for sale and hot popcorn. Movie begins at 8:30pm the Verm (4 W. Main, next to R-Pizza). Not exclusive to steampunks and pirates! Everybody's welcome—we all deserve tru wuv. ❤️
Mural Dedication & Celebration . Join us Thursday, September 19 for friendship, food, and gratitude at the base of the mural in the alley behind the Coyote Twin Theater from 5:30 to 6:45pm. All community members welcome.
Early Out movie day! The Vermillion Public Library is sponsoring a FREE movie for the kiddos who are dismissed from school early this day so that their teachers can get some professional learning time. Friday, September 20, 2pm at the Coyote Twin.
Thursday, October 3 the Coyote Twin will be closed for an invite-only screening of USD's documentary on the forty-year history of the Dakota Dome. There will be no feature films on screen this day.
D-Days Free Movie Friday! USD Student Programming is covering the cost of movie tickets at the 7pm and late shows for all USD students with a valid ID. Keep checking vermilliontheaters.com for movies and showtimes as the date draws nearer.
The Coyote Twin will have hot popcorn and restroom access during the Dakota Days Parade, Saturday, October 5 starting at 9am. Bring your alumni friends and family in for a tour of the renovations of your community nonprofit movie theater!
The Vermillion Parent Teacher Organization is sponsoring a FREE showing of Screenagers: Growing up in the Digital Age to be followed by a discussion about screen time and safety tips. Monday, October 7, 7pm at the Coyote Twin.
For October's Chick Flick we're partnering with ESA - Theta Omega for a sneak peek of their annual Say Yes to the Dress! Relay for Life fundraiser. Come watch romcom favs Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride (1999) at the Coyote Twin and get a glimpse of the Say Yes! dresses. Admission, any size popcorn, and a glass of wine for just $15. Everyone welcome! Monday, October 14, 7pm at the Coyote Twin.
The USD student organization Spectrum and the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program are sponsoring a FREE community showing of Milk (2008), the biopic about political activist Harvey Milk starring Sean Penn. Monday, October 28, 7pm at the Coyote Twin.
Early Out movie day! The Vermillion Public Library is sponsoring a FREE movie for the kiddos who are dismissed from school this day so that their teachers can get some professional learning time. Friday, November 8, 2pm at the Coyote Twin.
+1 605-624-3331
P.O. Box 549 | Vermillion, South Dakota | 57069