City of Sioux Falls Welcomes New Arts Coordinator
Published on May 16, 2024
Sioux Falls, South Dakota: The City of Sioux Falls has hired Maren Engel as its first Arts Coordinator. Maren joins the City with a background in arts administration, performing arts, and community development and fundraising. As Arts Coordinator, Engel will collaborate with multiple City departments, community organizations, neighborhoods, and individuals. Some of her responsibilities will include creating arts and culture policies, managing City art investments, implementing procedures, and developing partnerships and financial resources to meet the diverse needs of residents and visitors.
“Maren is a great addition to the City. Her administrative skills, mixed with her knowledge of the arts, will help her hit the ground running and start collaborating with all facets of the arts community,” said Jeff Eckhoff, Director of Planning and Development Services. “This new position is an exciting and groundbreaking opportunity for Sioux Falls. It allows us to focus on a wide variety of arts, including visual, performing, and literary. We thank the City Council for having the vision to help us establish this impactful position for our community.”
One of Engel’s first tasks will be standing up the Sioux Falls Arts Commission. According to City ordinance, the commission will consist of seven members appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council. The appointed members will be arts advocates that represent a diverse mixture of citizen representatives of the community. Applications for the new Arts Commission will be accepted in the coming weeks when a formal announcement is made.
“Watching Sioux Falls evolve into an arts and culture hub has been exciting, and I’m grateful for this opportunity as the City’s first Arts Coordinator to impact our community in this way,” said Engel. “Although my background is in the performing arts, I look forward to collaborating with the incredible artists of all backgrounds in our city and building those relationships. As I settle into this role, I hope to create more visibility to arts policies and procedures within the City.”
Engel graduated from Augustana University with a Bachelor of Arts in vocal music and classics and worked as the university’s first arts recruitment coordinator soon after graduation. Other previous career experience includes administrative roles with local nonprofits like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Breathe Bravely, specifically focusing on fundraising and development. Engel is actively involved in the arts, performing with Transept, the Good Night Theatre Collective, and Midtown Coffee Radio Hour. She also sits on the Sioux Falls Arts Council on the Fund Development Committee.