When you think of bikers roaring into the Black Hills for the 75th Sturgis Rally an art gallery might be the last place you’d think they’d visit. But, the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City wants to change that notion. The Dahl has a special exhibit celebrating biker culture and the 75th Rally anniversary.
The stereotypical biker is not someone you’d expect to find in an art gallery.
The Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City wants to change that notion with an exhibit titled RESPECT. The show celebrates biker culture and the 75th Rally anniversary. Pepper Massey is the Executive Director of the Rapid City Arts Council.
“You get a lot of coverage of the outrageous and we were interested in the heart and soul of motorcycling. There are so many people who come here, regular folks, regular people like you and I and it’s because of those individual that we’ve sustained an event for 75 years,” says Massey.
Massey says the works on display celebrate the roots of the Sturgis Rally and its connection to the community.
“This is a big anniversary. It is a celebration for many people. It’s a time when people gather and reconnect with friends. Come and stay with people they’ve stayed with year after year. People make friends with our communities. It isn’t just about coming an buying t shirts and drinking beer. It’s about so much more. It’s an experience for them. And that’s really what this story is about,” says Massey.
The show titled “RESPECT: A Contemporary Motorcycle Exhibit” is up at the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City from July 24th to September 7th. It includes works from 17 artists.