Month: October 2023

Walter Portz will give keynote at Make Your Mark event Nov. 17

Posted on October 3, 2023 by - Fundraising, News

A sampling of art by Walter Portz. From his Twitter profile (@the55disciple). Combines overlays of graffiti, portraits, text and textures.

A sampling of artwork by Walter Portz accessed through his X profile, @the55disciple

 

Sioux Falls artist and entrepreneur Walter Portz will give the keynote presentation at the Make Your Mark on Mental Health event on November 17.

Walter Portz. Black and white image of a man with a moustache in a black T-shirt with a tattoo sleeve.

“We are thrilled to be able to share Walter’s perspective on art, mental health, and resilience with our friends at the Make Your Mark gala,” said Erin Bosch, Chief Development Officer at Lost&Found.

Portz is an artist, skatepark advocate, community advocate, and photographer with two decades of professional experience at Studio Blu Photography. Sioux Falls residents may know his recent work on a mural on a parking ramp on East 10th Street. With a background as a former graffiti artist, Walter delves into a myriad of art forms including photography, painting, paper art, spray paint, collage, Xerox art, AI art, digital art, video, experimental art, sculpture, written words and audio.

Walter’s art is often an expression of grief, loss, and mental health challenges, expressing raw honesty and vulnerability. He strives to lay bare the myriad of human emotions, encouraging an open dialogue and letting others know that it’s okay to experience such feelings. Art, for Walter, is not just a medium of expression but a crucial component of his mental health therapy.

From December 2021 to July 2022, following a significant mental health episode, Walter immersed himself in his art, creating between 2500-3000 iterations using a blend of digital collage, spray paint, Xerox, and wheat paste. In September of the same year, he embraced AI as a tool to iterate further on themes of mental health, not with the intention to commercialize his art, but as a therapeutic method for self-healing.

Walter continues to intertwine AI with various mediums, persistently exploring and addressing issues related to mental health and well-being. His journey is not about selling art; it’s about the continuous exploration and healing process that art facilitates.

Tickets for the event are available here.

Lost&Found receives Bush Prize, with an award of $185,000

Posted on October 17, 2023 by - Fundraising, L&F In The News, News

Lost&Found is one of two South Dakota recipients of the 2023 Bush Prize, a prestigious award honoring nonprofits in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. The Bush Foundation funds the awards, and the South Dakota Community Foundation administers the South Dakota award program. Lost&Found will receive $185,000 to support its work.

“To receive the Bush Prize for Community Innovation is the ultimate recognition and validation of Lost&Found’s deep commitment to meeting community needs in South Dakota,” said Lost&Found Executive Director & CEO Erik Muckey. “This is a tremendous honor for our staff, our Board of Directors, the communities we serve, and above all, the thousands of young adults in our state who have made mental health and suicide prevention a priority in our state.”

Forty-eight nonprofits applied for the award in South Dakota; four were chosen as finalists, and two, Lost&Found and Black Hills Special Services Cooperative, won the award.

“We are thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to recognize both Black Hills Special Services Cooperative and Lost&Found for their innovative efforts to improve the lives of those they serve,” said Stephanie Judson, SDCF President & CEO, in a news release on the SDCF website. “Both organizations offer resources and diligently pursue solutions that benefit individuals and their families.”

The Bush Prize honors nonprofits “that are highly valued within their communities and have a track record of successful community problem solving,” according to the news release. “It’s a recognition of the transformational impact these organizations are having throughout MN, ND, SD and the 23 Native nations that share that same geography. Bush Prize winners have a drive to bring communities together to think bigger and differently about their approach to solving problems in innovative and collaborative ways.”

The full text of the news release is below.

 

Announcing the Bush Prize: South Dakota Winners!

The South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) is proud to partner with the Bush Foundation to introduce the 2023 Bush Prize: South Dakota winners: Black Hills Special Services Cooperative (BHSSC) and Lost&Found. BHSSC will receive the maximum award of $500,000 and Lost&Found will receive $185,000. As finalists for the award, Dakota Resources and LifeScape will also receive $10,000.

“We are thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to recognize both Black Hills Special Services Cooperative and Lost&Found for their innovative efforts to improve the lives of those they serve,” said Stephanie Judson, SDCF President & CEO. “Both organizations offer resources and diligently pursue solutions that benefit individuals and their families.”

SDCF received 48 applications for the 2023 Bush Prize: South Dakota. Applications were evaluated on how the organization demonstrated being inclusive, collaborative and resourceful in their processes, how the organization demonstrated patterns of innovative solutions and how the organization leadership fosters a culture of innovation, in addition to being strong in terms of governance and finances. Out of 48 applications, 4 organizations were selected as finalists for the Bush Prize: South Dakota and two were selected as winners.

BHSSC practices innovative and collaborative processes in a number of ways in their work with schools and families across South Dakota. BHSSC provides specialized educational services and resources to cater to the unique learning needs of students and families in the Black Hills region and across the state. BHSSC is a champion for community-led education across the state, acting collaboratively as a liaison between schools and government policies. BHSSC has recently focused on boosting family engagement in education and works to empower local school leaders to better engage and include families in education initiatives. BHSSC conducts leadership training internally as well as in the communities they serve. Every school community is unique, and BHSSC works with each school to adapt programming and meet students and families where they are in order to improve student outcomes.

Lost&Found advocates for mental health awareness and provides resources for individuals facing mental health challenges, reducing stigma and connecting people with vital support. Lost&Found was formed by high school students and has focused their efforts on the target demographic of 15-34 years old. Lost&Found demonstrates innovation through their data-driven and collaborative work with colleges across South Dakota, which has included developing and deploying a Campus Resilience Index as a planning tool, guiding a student-to-student mentorship program, and currently developing a mobile app as a peer support tool for the digital age. In addition to internal practices that promote leadership and innovation internally, Lost&Found has already made an impact in driving messaging for mental health awareness across South Dakota.

“BHSSC and Lost&Found are both organizations that exemplify what it means to be a Bush Prize winner. In every area of their work within their organizations and with those they serve, they represent innovative solutions. We are so excited to be able to lift both of these organizations up as an example of what it means to be a Bush Prize winner,” says Ginger Niemann, SDCF Senior Program Officer.

The Bush Prize celebrates organizations that are highly valued within their communities and have a track record of successful community problem solving. It’s a recognition of the transformational impact these organizations are having throughout MN, ND, SD and the 23 Native nations that share that same geography. Bush Prize winners have a drive to bring communities together to think bigger and differently about their approach to solving problems in innovative and collaborative ways. Bush Prize awards are up to 25% of an organization’s last fiscal year expenses, with a maximum of $500,000. There are four Bush Prize awards throughout the region, operated by four community grant partners in partnership with the Bush Foundation. SDCF administered the 2023 Bush Prize for South Dakota.

“Bush Prize winners are doing big things in partnership with their communities,” says Jen Ford Reedy, Bush Foundation President. “I love that the Bush Prize gives flexible funding to organizations that are highly valued by their own communities. One of our operating values is to “work beyond ourselves,” which includes the commitment to both lead and follow. We are following the good counsel of the South Dakota Community Foundation as we jointly award the Bush Prize to organizations they selected. We congratulate the Bush Prize winners and celebrate their work!”

Bush Prize: South Dakota will be made available to nonprofits again in 2024.

To learn more about funding opportunities offered by the SDCF, including the Bush Prize: South Dakota, please visit our website at https://www.sdcommunityfoundation.org/

Brad Hearst elected to chair Lost&Found’s board

Posted on October 26, 2023 by - Uncategorized

Lost&Found’s board of directors elected Brad Hearst to the board chair position at its meeting Oct. 20. Hearst took over the leadership of the board from interim chair Nick Maddock, who had led since June, when Dr. Anne Kelly stepped down as board chair. Kelly had led the board for four years.

“I am absolutely thrilled and honored to assume the role of board chair for Lost&Found,” Hearst said. “This vital organization and cause holds a special place in my heart. I’m excited to lead our dedicated team in our mission to make a positive impact in the communities and on the campuses we support. Together, we will work tirelessly to bring hope and support to those who need it most, and I can’t wait to see the positive change we’ll create.”

Hearst, who is based in Sioux Falls and also frequently works in Rapid City, is a consultant with Marsh McLennan Agency where he advises employers on employee benefits, business insurance, and focused analytical resources.

He is also an avid philanthropist and was the founder and executive director of Survivors Joining for Hope, now a part of Lost&Found, which provides both financial and emotional support to families after they have lost a loved one by suicide. In addition, he has been a teacher for Junior Achievement since 2017 and a mentor for students of the Leadership South Dakota Program.

Outside of work, Brad loves spending time with his wife and three boys. He is also the host and executive producer for the podcast “Society Rewired,” which openly and honestly discusses mental health in order to normalize the conversation and help those currently struggling.

Elections were also held for other board leadership positions at the Oct. 20 meeting. Jerry Cook of Sioux Falls was elected Vice Chair. Cook, who has owned several businesses over 30 years, formerly served as the vice chair of Survivors Joining for Hope when it was a standalone entity.

Tom Parker, who is the director of client services at Limestone, Inc., in Sioux Falls, continues his position as treasurer. Kacey McCarthy, who is the project and brand director at Maximizing Excellence, LLC, in Sioux Falls, will serve as Lost&Found’s board secretary.

Each of these officers will serve a three-year term.

KELOLAND Living hosts will emcee Make Your Mark event

Posted on October 27, 2023 by - Blog, Fundraising

Mitchell Olson and Ashley Thompson

Make Your Mark on Mental Health: An evening of healing through art. November 17, 2023Lost&Found is pleased to announce that Ashley Thompson and Mitchell Olson, hosts of KELOLAND Living, will serve as emcees for Lost&Found’s annual Make Your Mark on Mental Health event Nov. 17.

About KELOLAND Living

KELOLAND Living is the area’s only local lifestyle show. It is the top show in its time period and often has more viewers than the competition’s newscasts.  Ashley Thompson and Mitchell Olson host one hour of local lifestyle television every weekday afternoon at 2:00 PM on KELOLAND TV, one of the nation’s highest-rated CBS affiliates. KELOLAND TV has been broadcasting local news and programming for 70 years and has been the number one station in their market for all 70 years.

Ashley Thompson

Ashley ThompsonAs one of the hosts of KELOLAND Living, Ashley likes to draw on her years of experience serving KELOLAND nonprofits and her love for our community and the people in it to help bring the stories and solutions important to viewers to a lifestyle television format.

And yes, sometimes those important issues are things like, “Will it Waffle?” where Ashley and her equally delusional cohost, Mitchell Olson, push the envelope on what can (and should) be cooked in a waffle iron.

Some of Ashley’s favorite passions include learning foreign languages, random academic deep dives, and traveling with friends and family, all of which she has turned into reoccurring segments on the show.

Spending time with her husband and three kids while wasting an inordinate amount of time trying to DIY everything in her life rounds out her busy schedule.

Mitchell Olson

Mitchell OlsonAfter being raised on a farm outside Vermillion, S.D., and attending South Dakota State University, Mitchell Olson moved to New York City, where he lived for 13 years. A decade ago, he returned to the state he truly loves, South Dakota, and fell back in love with the Midwest, especially the people who live here.

Most people remember him for being a contestant on the CBS reality series “Survivor,” but he now spends his time surviving the daily hijinks of Ashley Thompson as her co-host on KELOLAND Living (which at times IS actually harder than competing on “Survivor” was).

When he isn’t KELOLAND Living-it-up, he is spending time with his husband, writing, watching an unusually large amount of television, cooking, or creating social media content.

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Designer Ivy Oland Dandar will be a special guest at Make Your Mark event

Posted on October 30, 2023 by - Blog, Fundraising, News, Uncategorized

Ivy Oland Dandar, a design consultant trained as an evidence-based design practitioner and as an artist, will be a special guest at Lost&Found’s Make Your Mark on Mental Health fundraising event on Nov. 17.

She joins artist Walter Portz, who will serve as a keynote speaker, and KELOLAND Living hosts Ashley Thompson and Mitchell Olson, who will emcee the event.

Tickets are still available—get yours here.

Ivy Oland DandarOland Dandar is a Sioux Falls native who returned to her hometown two decades ago armed with a fine arts degree, a healthy dose of enthusiasm and naivete, and a desire to open a fine art gallery. Today, she’s established herself as the region’s leading art and environmental design consultant.

An evidence-based design practitioner, much of her work blends creativity with research and data to enhance our health and well-being through the delivery of thoughtfully curated art and spaces.

A longtime resident of downtown Sioux Falls, Ivy, along with her husband and two young boys, embraces urban living while nurturing their rooftop gardens and witnessing the city’s amazing growth.

Explore her work at www.olandconsulting.com or contact her at ivy@olandconsulting.com.

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