The Arts Aren't Optional. They're How We Connect.
Sioux Falls is writing its next chapter — and right now, the people leading that process are asking a simple question: what do you want arts and culture to look like in this city for the next ten years?
That's not a small question. And it deserves a real answer.
It Started With Me as a Kid
I grew up in DAPA — the Dakotas Academy of Performing Arts. That's where I first learned that creativity wasn't just something you did after school. It was how you figured out who you were. How you found your people. How you belonged somewhere.
That foundation never left me. Today I perform with LiRa Dance Theatre, help organize Lunar Fest, and spent years supporting local artists through Sioux Falls Stage & Gallery. The arts have followed me everywhere — and I've seen firsthand what they do for a city when we take them seriously.
What the Arts Actually Do
This isn't about galleries and galas. It's about neighborhoods.
When a corridor gets a mural, it changes how people feel walking down that street. When a festival celebrates a culture that doesn't usually see itself reflected downtown, something shifts. When a kid from an immigrant family steps onto a stage and the audience claps — that's not just a performance. That's belonging.
A Vibrant Community doesn't happen by accident. It takes investment in the things that make a place feel alive. Arts and culture are exactly that. They're not extras — they're infrastructure for connection.
And Equal Opportunity means every neighborhood in this city gets to feel that energy — not just the ones that are already thriving.
Ten Minutes for Ten Years
Keen Independent is conducting Sioux Falls' 10-year Arts and Cultural Plan — and the survey is open now. It takes about ten minutes. That's a small ask for a decade of impact.
Your voice belongs in this plan. Especially if you've ever felt like arts and culture in this city didn't quite reflect your story.
Scan this QR Code to take the Arts Survey
This is how we build the Sioux Falls we want. By speaking up. By showing up.
It's always been our city, and now is our moment. Let's rise together. ☀️
— Vince Danh
Candidate, Sioux Falls City Council At-Large June 2, 2026
vinceforsiouxfalls.com