Matthews Opera House

Author Talks at the Matthews
2022-11-01 12:30 - 13:30 (America/Denver)
Author Talks at the Matthews returns this fall with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
November 1: Bill Bosch
Bill Bosch grew up east of Linton, ND in an area populated mainly by German-Russians. His grandparents all grew up in what is now Ukraine and Crimea. And so did their parents and so on. But when they emigrated to the Dakotas in the late 1880s they came not as Russians or Ukrainians but as ethnic Germans. Bill has written three books about his heritage. The first, published in 2014, is titled The German Russians in Words and Pictures. Next came Russian Agriculture in the 1880s. Then last year he published a historical novel with the title The Land Seekers. He will briefly discuss the first two and then discuss, with the audience, some of the mistakes he made in writing his novel. Perhaps that can help others avoid the same mistakes while inspiring them to publish their own novel.
Coming Soon…
November 8: Doug Hoff
Douglas Henry Hoff was born in 1948 and graduated as valedictorian of his high school class in 1966. He attended and was an honor student at Black Hills State University and the SD School of Mines and Technology. He and Marlene (Molly) were married in 1968 while attending SDSMT. When his parents considered the sale of the family farm Doug and Molly decided to give ranching a try and later bought the farm, which they eventually tripled in size. While there they started a herd of world-renowned registered Angus cattle, a cattle genetics and research company that they later sold to Cargill, and had two children, Brian and Andrea.
While ranching Doug received The National Ralston Purina Youth of the Year award, The SD Young Farmer of the Year award, The North American Beef Improvement Federation Seedstock Producer of the Year award, and The 2000 US Livestock Man of the Year award. He graduated from the SD Agriculture and Rural Development program. He and Molly enjoyed and lived a robust ranching career, selling semen, embryos, and cattle around the globe, with cattle from their cowherd dispersal going to five continents. Doug brought his expertise and in-depth agricultural experience to this book, helping to produce a unique perspective of the demands of agriculture and living on the prairie.
November 15: Courtney Huse-Wika & BHSU Writing Class
Courtney Huse-Wika believes in the art of collection: overheard quotes, forgotten stories, and sometimes animals. She is the author of Perch, a chapbook of nature poetry from Anchor and Plume Press, and was named a finalist for the 2021 James Hearst Poetry Prize from North American Review, and a 2020 Honorable Mention for the New Millennium Writing Awards. Her creative work has appeared widely, including CALYX, The Halcyone, New Ohio Review, South Dakota Review, Kindred, South Dakota Magazine, South Dakota in Poems, Midwestern Gothic, Scissors and Spackle, Backwards City Review, and the MacGuffin. She received her BA in philosophy and English from Augustana University, her MA and PhD in English with a specialization in creative writing from the University of South Dakota, and is currently an Associate Professor of English and Distinguished Faculty at Black Hills State University.
November 29: Michael Harris
Michael Harris lives in the Black Hills near Deadwood South Dakota. He is a husband and a father. His first novel “Outlaw Blood” is a Post Apocalyptic Western, set sometime in the near future after a global economic crash has devastated the world’s countries.
Michael enjoys shooting, hiking, reading, writing, and hunting. He has ranched and worked cattle, served in the U.S. Army for eight years, been a Law Enforcement Officer, survived 17 years as Mr. Mom, and is now an author.
December 6: Troy Dobyns
At two weeks old, Troy started traveling with his family due to his father’s Naval career. He and his family lived in many places but always came home to the Black Hills for vacations. When their father retired, they knew this would be their permanent home.
In the spring of 1972, the family moved to Rapid City just in time to live through the Rapid City flood. Troy’s story is intertwined with several others from the maternal side of his family who also fought the waters of that horrible night in June 1972. These stories are revealed through several accounts of the family but mostly through the eyes of the then-eight-year-old author. The story covers the day of the flood, the night of the flood, survivorship, the aftermath, and the recovery.
December 13: Robyn VanDersys
Robyn VanDerSys was born in Washington State, which is where her love for the great outdoors was born. She has lived in several different states and in 2015 settled in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and kids.
Her life has consisted of one adventure to the next, including racing monster trucks in her early twenties, raising three strong children, riding around Mexico on her four wheeler while living out of a backpack, and volunteering on a chase team while her husband raced the Baja 1000.
She spends her free time off-roading and hiking the many trails of the Black Hills, and also enjoys traveling and having as many adventures as humanly possible.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2022-11-08 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns this fall with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
November 8: Doug Hoff
Douglas Henry Hoff was born in 1948 and graduated as valedictorian of his high school class in 1966. He attended and was an honor student at Black Hills State University and the SD School of Mines and Technology. He and Marlene (Molly) were married in 1968 while attending SDSMT. When his parents considered the sale of the family farm Doug and Molly decided to give ranching a try and later bought the farm, which they eventually tripled in size. While there they started a herd of world-renowned registered Angus cattle, a cattle genetics and research company that they later sold to Cargill, and had two children, Brian and Andrea.
While ranching Doug received The National Ralston Purina Youth of the Year award, The SD Young Farmer of the Year award, The North American Beef Improvement Federation Seedstock Producer of the Year award, and The 2000 US Livestock Man of the Year award. He graduated from the SD Agriculture and Rural Development program. He and Molly enjoyed and lived a robust ranching career, selling semen, embryos, and cattle around the globe, with cattle from their cowherd dispersal going to five continents. Doug brought his expertise and in-depth agricultural experience to this book, helping to produce a unique perspective of the demands of agriculture and living on the prairie.
Coming Soon…
November 15: Courtney Huse-Wika & BHSU Writing Class
Courtney Huse-Wika believes in the art of collection: overheard quotes, forgotten stories, and sometimes animals. She is the author of Perch, a chapbook of nature poetry from Anchor and Plume Press, and was named a finalist for the 2021 James Hearst Poetry Prize from North American Review, and a 2020 Honorable Mention for the New Millennium Writing Awards. Her creative work has appeared widely, including CALYX, The Halcyone, New Ohio Review, South Dakota Review, Kindred, South Dakota Magazine, South Dakota in Poems, Midwestern Gothic, Scissors and Spackle, Backwards City Review, and the MacGuffin. She received her BA in philosophy and English from Augustana University, her MA and PhD in English with a specialization in creative writing from the University of South Dakota, and is currently an Associate Professor of English and Distinguished Faculty at Black Hills State University.
November 29: Michael Harris
Michael Harris lives in the Black Hills near Deadwood South Dakota. He is a husband and a father. His first novel “Outlaw Blood” is a Post Apocalyptic Western, set sometime in the near future after a global economic crash has devastated the world’s countries.
Michael enjoys shooting, hiking, reading, writing, and hunting. He has ranched and worked cattle, served in the U.S. Army for eight years, been a Law Enforcement Officer, survived 17 years as Mr. Mom, and is now an author.
December 6: Troy Dobyns
At two weeks old, Troy started traveling with his family due to his father’s Naval career. He and his family lived in many places but always came home to the Black Hills for vacations. When their father retired, they knew this would be their permanent home.
In the spring of 1972, the family moved to Rapid City just in time to live through the Rapid City flood. Troy’s story is intertwined with several others from the maternal side of his family who also fought the waters of that horrible night in June 1972. These stories are revealed through several accounts of the family but mostly through the eyes of the then-eight-year-old author. The story covers the day of the flood, the night of the flood, survivorship, the aftermath, and the recovery.
December 13: Robyn VanDersys
Robyn VanDerSys was born in Washington State, which is where her love for the great outdoors was born. She has lived in several different states and in 2015 settled in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and kids.
Her life has consisted of one adventure to the next, including racing monster trucks in her early twenties, raising three strong children, riding around Mexico on her four wheeler while living out of a backpack, and volunteering on a chase team while her husband raced the Baja 1000.
She spends her free time off-roading and hiking the many trails of the Black Hills, and also enjoys traveling and having as many adventures as humanly possible.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2022-11-15 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns this fall with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
November 15: Courtney Huse-Wika & BHSU Writing Class
Courtney Huse-Wika believes in the art of collection: overheard quotes, forgotten stories, and sometimes animals. She is the author of Perch, a chapbook of nature poetry from Anchor and Plume Press, and was named a finalist for the 2021 James Hearst Poetry Prize from North American Review, and a 2020 Honorable Mention for the New Millennium Writing Awards. Her creative work has appeared widely, including CALYX, The Halcyone, New Ohio Review, South Dakota Review, Kindred, South Dakota Magazine, South Dakota in Poems, Midwestern Gothic, Scissors and Spackle, Backwards City Review, and the MacGuffin. She received her BA in philosophy and English from Augustana University, her MA and PhD in English with a specialization in creative writing from the University of South Dakota, and is currently an Associate Professor of English and Distinguished Faculty at Black Hills State University.
Coming Soon…
November 29: Michael Harris
Michael Harris lives in the Black Hills near Deadwood South Dakota. He is a husband and a father. His first novel “Outlaw Blood” is a Post Apocalyptic Western, set sometime in the near future after a global economic crash has devastated the world’s countries.
Michael enjoys shooting, hiking, reading, writing, and hunting. He has ranched and worked cattle, served in the U.S. Army for eight years, been a Law Enforcement Officer, survived 17 years as Mr. Mom, and is now an author.
December 6: Troy Dobyns
At two weeks old, Troy started traveling with his family due to his father’s Naval career. He and his family lived in many places but always came home to the Black Hills for vacations. When their father retired, they knew this would be their permanent home.
In the spring of 1972, the family moved to Rapid City just in time to live through the Rapid City flood. Troy’s story is intertwined with several others from the maternal side of his family who also fought the waters of that horrible night in June 1972. These stories are revealed through several accounts of the family but mostly through the eyes of the then-eight-year-old author. The story covers the day of the flood, the night of the flood, survivorship, the aftermath, and the recovery.
December 13: Robyn VanDersys
Robyn VanDerSys was born in Washington State, which is where her love for the great outdoors was born. She has lived in several different states and in 2015 settled in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and kids.
Her life has consisted of one adventure to the next, including racing monster trucks in her early twenties, raising three strong children, riding around Mexico on her four wheeler while living out of a backpack, and volunteering on a chase team while her husband raced the Baja 1000.
She spends her free time off-roading and hiking the many trails of the Black Hills, and also enjoys traveling and having as many adventures as humanly possible.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2022-11-29 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns this fall with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
November 29: Michael Harris
Michael Harris lives in the Black Hills near Deadwood South Dakota. He is a husband and a father. His first novel “Outlaw Blood” is a Post Apocalyptic Western, set sometime in the near future after a global economic crash has devastated the world’s countries.
Michael enjoys shooting, hiking, reading, writing, and hunting. He has ranched and worked cattle, served in the U.S. Army for eight years, been a Law Enforcement Officer, survived 17 years as Mr. Mom, and is now an author.
Coming Soon…
December 6: Troy Dobyns
At two weeks old, Troy started traveling with his family due to his father’s Naval career. He and his family lived in many places but always came home to the Black Hills for vacations. When their father retired, they knew this would be their permanent home.
In the spring of 1972, the family moved to Rapid City just in time to live through the Rapid City flood. Troy’s story is intertwined with several others from the maternal side of his family who also fought the waters of that horrible night in June 1972. These stories are revealed through several accounts of the family but mostly through the eyes of the then-eight-year-old author. The story covers the day of the flood, the night of the flood, survivorship, the aftermath, and the recovery.
December 13: Robyn VanDersys
Robyn VanDerSys was born in Washington State, which is where her love for the great outdoors was born. She has lived in several different states and in 2015 settled in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and kids.
Her life has consisted of one adventure to the next, including racing monster trucks in her early twenties, raising three strong children, riding around Mexico on her four wheeler while living out of a backpack, and volunteering on a chase team while her husband raced the Baja 1000.
She spends her free time off-roading and hiking the many trails of the Black Hills, and also enjoys traveling and having as many adventures as humanly possible.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2022-12-06 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns this fall with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
December 6: Troy Dobyns
At two weeks old, Troy started traveling with his family due to his father’s Naval career. He and his family lived in many places but always came home to the Black Hills for vacations. When their father retired, they knew this would be their permanent home.
In the spring of 1972, the family moved to Rapid City just in time to live through the Rapid City flood. Troy’s story is intertwined with several others from the maternal side of his family who also fought the waters of that horrible night in June 1972. These stories are revealed through several accounts of the family but mostly through the eyes of the then-eight-year-old author. The story covers the day of the flood, the night of the flood, survivorship, the aftermath, and the recovery.
Coming Soon…
December 13: Robyn VanDersys
Robyn VanDerSys was born in Washington State, which is where her love for the great outdoors was born. She has lived in several different states and in 2015 settled in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and kids.
Her life has consisted of one adventure to the next, including racing monster trucks in her early twenties, raising three strong children, riding around Mexico on her four wheeler while living out of a backpack, and volunteering on a chase team while her husband raced the Baja 1000.
She spends her free time off-roading and hiking the many trails of the Black Hills, and also enjoys traveling and having as many adventures as humanly possible.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2023-01-10 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
January 10: Karen Holzer and Bill Feterl
This week’s Author Talks will feature “Let’s Feed the Fish,” written by Kindra Gordon, Karen Holzer, and Joanna Jones and illustrated by local artist, Bill Feterl. Feterl will discuss the process he used to plan and create his artwork as well as the planning and organization of the pages, how the text was chosen, and the printing process.

The book tells the story of two young boys visiting the D.C. Booth Fish Hatchery in Spearfish. Two excited young boys explore the D.C. Booth, zig zagging through the scenic grounds learning about raceways, touring a museum, visiting the Booth House, and feeding the fish.
Coming Soon…
January 17: South Dakota State Poetry Society
South Dakota State Poetry Society (SDSPS) came into existence in 1926. It has operated continuously publishing two volumes of Pasque Petals annually. SDSPS poets Heidi Moseley, Jean Helmer and others, as weather permits, will share readings from Pasque Petals, and discuss the of writing poetry. Information on membership and on how to submit works for publication will also be provided.
Jean Helmer writes of experiences garnered farming and ranching, and of her careers in classrooms and rural church pulpits. She and husband Gary live near Belle Fourche with their literary pups, Annie
Grabstreak and Ginny Woolf. She is published in Pasque Petals, and in various SD and WY anthologies.
Holly Moseley lives in Camp Crook. She is secretary of the South Dakota State Poetry Society, and belongs to both the Belle Fourche and Bearlodge Writers groups. Her poems have been published in Pasque Petals, several anthologies, and South Dakota Magazine.

God's Eye Ornament
2023-01-17 10:00 - 12:00
Join us in the Matthews Gallery on Tuesday, January 17 at 10 am for Gods Eye Weaving, where you will be guided through the process of creating a colorful ornament using simple weaving techniques.
You may have encountered God’s Eye ornaments as a school project but the activity has a history that is hundreds of years old.
God’s Eye ornaments first originated among the Huichol, the indigenous peoples of what is now western Mexico. They believed that the spiritual world could be accessed through crafting objects. The Huichol made large ceremonial shields with colored yarn and sticks as protection against the uncertainties of the future, so that a god could keep a watchful eye over the craftsman.
Black yarn or a mirrored disk in the center of the God’s Eye is intended to help the god see better and where the stick foundation crosses, an opening was left so that shamans and gods could travel easily between the spirit world and earth. The four points of the “eye” are believed to represent the four earthly elements (fire, water, earth and air).

This workshop is free to attend, however, space is limited to 10 participants. Registration is required. Contact the Matthews Community Engagement Manager at (605)717-6967 or email engage@matthewsopera.com to reserve your spot.

About the NEA Big Read
The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read, a partnership with Arts Midwest, broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,700 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $24 million to organizations nationwide. In addition, NEA Big Read activities have reached every Congressional district in the country. Over the past 16 years, grantees have leveraged more than $56 million in local funding to support their NEA Big Read programs. More than 5.9 million Americans have attended an NEA Big Read event, over 97,000 volunteers have participated at the local level, and over 40,000 community organizations have partnered to make NEA Big Read activities possible.
Visit arts.gov/neabigread for more information about the NEA Big Read. Organizations interested in applying for an NEA Big Read grant in the future should visit Arts Midwest’s website for more information.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
El proyecto NEA Big Read es una iniciativa del National Endowment for the Arts (el Fondo Nacional para las Artes de Estados Unidos) en cooperación con Arts Midwest

Author Talks at the Matthews
2023-01-17 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
January 17: South Dakota State Poetry Society

South Dakota State Poetry Society (SDSPS) came into existence in 1926. It has operated continuously publishing two volumes of Pasque Petals annually. SDSPS poets Heidi Moseley, Jean Helmer and others, as weather permits, will share readings from Pasque Petals, and discuss the of writing poetry. Information on membership and on how to submit works for publication will also be provided.
Jean Helmer writes of experiences garnered farming and ranching, and of her careers in classrooms and rural church pulpits. She and husband Gary live near Belle Fourche with their literary pups, Annie
Grabstreak and Ginny Woolf. She is published in Pasque Petals, and in various SD and WY anthologies.
Holly Moseley lives in Camp Crook. She is secretary of the South Dakota State Poetry Society, and belongs to both the Belle Fourche and Bearlodge Writers groups. Her poems have been published in Pasque Petals, several anthologies, and South Dakota Magazine.

Coming Soon…
January 24: Kathy Bjornestad
Kathy Bjornestad is a retired K-12 school librarian and Language Arts teacher. She has been writing novels since the fifth grade and has experimented with poetry, novels for all ages, and creative nonfiction. Bjornestad
is an award-winning author who calls the Black Hills of South Dakota home. She believes in the power of books to promote empathy and awaken wonder and appreciation for the natural world. She will speak about her new book, Rhymes from the Reef.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2023-01-24 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
January 24: Kathy Bjornestad

Kathy Bjornestad is a retired K-12 school librarian and Language Arts teacher. She has been writing novels since the fifth grade and has experimented with poetry, novels for all ages, and creative nonfiction. Bjornestad
is an award-winning author who calls the Black Hills of South Dakota home. She believes in the power of books to promote empathy and awaken wonder and appreciation for the natural world. She will speak about her new book, Rhymes from the Reef.

Coming Soon…
January 31: Donna Watson
Stay tuned while we gather more information about the author and her discussion on historical fiction!

Dreamcatchers
2023-02-07 10:00 - 12:00
Join us on Tuesday, February 7 from 10 am-noon in the Matthews Art Gallery to create your own dreamcatcher with iconic hoop-and-web design.
The dream catcher is one of the most enduring and widespread symbols associated with Native American culture. It’s commonly believed that the iconic hoop-and-web form is meant to protect sleepers from bad dreams by “catching” them, while letting good dreams pass through, hence the name.
This is event is free to attend however space is limited to 10 participants. Registration is required.
To save your space, please call (605)717-6967 or email engage@matthewsopera.com.

About the NEA Big Read
The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read, a partnership with Arts Midwest, broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,700 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $24 million to organizations nationwide. In addition, NEA Big Read activities have reached every Congressional district in the country. Over the past 16 years, grantees have leveraged more than $56 million in local funding to support their NEA Big Read programs. More than 5.9 million Americans have attended an NEA Big Read event, over 97,000 volunteers have participated at the local level, and over 40,000 community organizations have partnered to make NEA Big Read activities possible.
Visit arts.gov/neabigread for more information about the NEA Big Read. Organizations interested in applying for an NEA Big Read grant in the future should visit Arts Midwest’s website for more information.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
El proyecto NEA Big Read es una iniciativa del National Endowment for the Arts (el Fondo Nacional para las Artes de Estados Unidos) en cooperación con Arts Midwest

Author Talks at the Matthews
2023-02-07 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
February 7: Belle Fourche Writers

Join us Tuesday, February 7 at 12:30 as members of Belle Fourche Writers present Family Stories Revisited. Authors Jean Helmer and Margaret “Margie” Bolte will share stories of their writing journeys and their works in progress, including a story based on an old Mexican folklore tale of The Weeping Woman.
Margie Bolte retired to Belle Fourche, her husband Dave’s hometown, following a career in the U.S. Public Health Service. She served as a Safety and Health Educator with the Food & Drug Administration and with Indian Health Services. She grew up in eastern Colorado and earned a Master’s Degree from the University of Minnesota.
Jean Helmer, 4th generation South Dakotan, taught in PeeWee Prep School, Belle Fourche High School, Black Hills State University, and in National Writing Project Summer Institutes. She pastored rural parishes in Butte and Harding Counties. Her works appear in Pasque Petals, and anthologies and newspapers in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Minnesota.

Coming Soon…
February 21: Robyn VanDersys
Robyn VanDerSys was born in Washington State, which is where her love for the great outdoors was born. She has lived in several different states and in 2015 settled in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and kids.
Her life has consisted of one adventure to the next, including racing monster trucks in her early twenties, raising three strong children, riding around Mexico on her four wheeler while living out of a backpack, and volunteering on a chase team while her husband raced the Baja 1000.
She spends her free time off-roading and hiking the many trails of the Black Hills, and also enjoys traveling and having as many adventures as humanly possible.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2023-02-21 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
February 21: Robyn VanDersys & MJ Witt
Robyn VanDersys was born in Washington State, which is where her love for the great outdoors was born. She has lived in several different states and in 2015 settled in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and kids. Her life has consisted of one adventure to the next, including racing monster trucks in her early twenties, raising three strong children, riding around Mexico on her four wheeler while living out of a backpack, and volunteering on a chase team while her husband raced the Baja 1000. She spends her free time off-roading and hiking the many trails of the Black Hills, and also enjoys traveling and having as many adventures as humanly possible.
MJ Witt is an apocalyptic fiction writer with Raventhorne Books. Born and raised in the Black Hills of South Dakota, MJ Witt has plied his hand at an amazing variety of vocations, including wilderness outfitter, horse trainer, SCUBA diving instructor, dolphin trainer before finally settling into technology. Being an avid reader his whole life, the transition to writing is his newest adventure. He loves authors who can tell a good story, and Robert Heinlein and Louis L’Amour are among his icons. He lives with his wife and child in the Pacific Northwest. If he isn’t working on their farm taking care of the horses and other animals, you will often find him traveling around the world enjoying new experiences and seeing what’s over the next horizon.
Coming Soon…
February 28: Noel Hamiel
Noel Hamiel is a career newspaperman of 35 years beginning at the Huron Plainsman, and the final 14 years at The Daily Republic where he retired as publisher in 2007. In 2007, he accepted a position with the South Dakota Community Foundation where he worked with communities statewide in philanthropic development. During his career, Hamiel received numerous awards for editorial and column writing. He served as an instructor of mass communications at St. Thomas More College, Fort Thomas, Ky. He is also the author of Sketches of South Dakota, published in 2002 and illustrated by Allison Hamiel.
Hamiel will speak about his book, South Dakota Mathis Murders: Horror in the Heartland, which focusses on, perhaps, the most infamous murder case in state history. Mathis was shot twice in the head at point-blank range inside the family’s steel shed serving as their makeshift home. Two of her three children, ages 2 and 4, were also shot in the head. The brutality of the killings shocked the state and set off a frenzy of law enforcement activity. Despite its intensity, the investigation never found the murderer or the murder weapon. Though charged with the crime, Mathis’s husband was acquitted, leaving the door open for endless speculation about what really occurred on that late summer morning of Sept. 8, 1981. With renewed insight from those involved, veteran South Dakota journalist Noel Hamiel explores this cold case of murder and mystery that still haunts the Mount Rushmore state.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2023-02-28 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
February 28: Noel Hamiel
Noel Hamiel is a career newspaperman of 35 years beginning at the Huron Plainsman, and the final 14 years at The Daily Republic where he retired as publisher in 2007. In 2007, he accepted a position with the South Dakota Community Foundation where he worked with communities statewide in philanthropic development. During his career, Hamiel received numerous awards for editorial and column writing. He served as an instructor of mass communications at St. Thomas More College, Fort Thomas, Ky. He is also the author of Sketches of South Dakota, published in 2002 and illustrated by Allison Hamiel.
Hamiel will speak about his book, South Dakota Mathis Murders: Horror in the Heartland, which focusses on, perhaps, the most infamous murder case in state history. Mathis was shot twice in the head at point-blank range inside the family’s steel shed serving as their makeshift home. Two of her three children, ages 2 and 4, were also shot in the head. The brutality of the killings shocked the state and set off a frenzy of law enforcement activity. Despite its intensity, the investigation never found the murderer or the murder weapon. Though charged with the crime, Mathis’s husband was acquitted, leaving the door open for endless speculation about what really occurred on that late summer morning of Sept. 8, 1981. With renewed insight from those involved, veteran South Dakota journalist Noel Hamiel explores this cold case of murder and mystery that still haunts the Mount Rushmore state.
Coming Soon…
March 7: Belle Fourche Writers
The Many Faces of Marnie Anderson, presented by the Belle Fourche Writers
Belle Fourche Writers 2022 “Writers’ Challenge” asked each writer to “birth a character” and then use two or more of the characters in a story. One character, Marnie Anderson, a 45-year-old City Administrator of Scandinavian descent, appears in several stories. Marnie is successful at her career but hides the one thing she wishes she had been able to achieve. Come meet Marnie as she appears in three stories.
Meet the authors…
Joan Gerkin is a South Dakota native, moving to Belle Fourche in 1989. Her early years as a farm wife and mother, was followed by a twenty-year career as a Fairfield Inn by Marriott General Manager. Now retired, she draws on her life experiences for writing inspiration.
Lynda Edwards began writing after taking creative writing courses provided by Community Education of the Black Hills. Her writings include fiction, poetry, and memoirs f other childhood ranch life. Her writings have won awards at the SD State Fair.
Eric Beeman grew up in Minnesota. After high school, he served four years in the US Navy, then enrolled in an electronics program. He retired in 2019 after a career as a maintenance technician.

Laminated Pressed Flowers
2023-03-07 10:00 - 12:00
Join us in the Matthews Gallery on Tuesday, March 7 at 10 am for a free artist’s workshop creating laminated, pressed flowers. Participants will be guided through the process of creating art with dried flowers and make their choice of bookmarks, coasters, or notecards.
This workshop is free to attend, however, space is limited to 10 participants. Registration is required.
Contact the Matthews Community Engagement Manager at (605) 717-6967 or email engage@matthewsopera.com to reserve your spot
About the NEA Big Read
The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read, a partnership with Arts Midwest, broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,700 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $24 million to organizations nationwide. In addition, NEA Big Read activities have reached every Congressional district in the country. Over the past 16 years, grantees have leveraged more than $56 million in local funding to support their NEA Big Read programs. More than 5.9 million Americans have attended an NEA Big Read event, over 97,000 volunteers have participated at the local level, and over 40,000 community organizations have partnered to make NEA Big Read activities possible.
Visit arts.gov/neabigread for more information about the NEA Big Read. Organizations interested in applying for an NEA Big Read grant in the future should visit Arts Midwest’s website for more information.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
El proyecto NEA Big Read es una iniciativa del National Endowment for the Arts (el Fondo Nacional para las Artes de Estados Unidos) en cooperación con Arts Midwest

Author Talks at the Matthews
2023-03-07 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
March 7: Belle Fourche Writers
The Many Faces of Marnie Anderson, presented by the Belle Fourche Writers
Belle Fourche Writers 2022 “Writers’ Challenge” asked each writer to “birth a character” and then use two or more of the characters in a story. One character, Marnie Anderson, a 45-year-old City Administrator of Scandinavian descent, appears in several stories. Marnie is successful at her career but hides the one thing she wishes she had been able to achieve. Come meet Marnie as she appears in three stories.
Meet the authors…
Joan Gerkin is a South Dakota native, moving to Belle Fourche in 1989. Her early years as a farm wife and mother, was followed by a twenty-year career as a Fairfield Inn by Marriott General Manager. Now retired, she draws on her life experiences for writing inspiration.
Lynda Edwards began writing after taking creative writing courses provided by Community Education of the Black Hills. Her writings include fiction, poetry, and memoirs f other childhood ranch life. Her writings have won awards at the SD State Fair.
Eric Beeman grew up in Minnesota. After high school, he served four years in the US Navy, then enrolled in an electronics program. He retired in 2019 after a career as a maintenance technician.
The Character of Marnie Anderson
She is a 45-year-old white female of Scandinavian descent. Her 5’ 10” tall, 160-pound frame shows her athletic body and love of outdoor activities including cross-country skiing and biking. With long, straight blonde hair and blue eyes she is attractive in business suits or active wear. Marney was born and raised on a farm outside La Crosse, WI. The oldest of seven children, three brothers and three sisters, Marnie was expected to lead by example. She earned her MBA from the University of Minnesota, bringing her immense success as a sought-after City Administrator. She has lived in Illinois, Michigan, and Iowa before taking her new position in Sunnyside, at $250,000.00 per year. Marnie loves the challenge that each new community brings to her goal of being the best in her chosen profession. Marnie has never failed to succeed in achieving the goals each community set out. In working her way up, the ladder of success, never spending more than three years in one community, she left behind her husband Arthur, a high school principal who chose to stay in Iowa. Marnie has no doubts when it comes to her career, but hides the one thing she wishes she had been able to achieve.
Coming Soon…
March 14: Viktoriia Peterson
Stay tuned as we gather more information about author Viktoriia Peterson and her discussion on flash fiction memoir.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2023-03-14 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
March 14: Viktoriia Peterson
Born and raised in Ukraine, Viktoriia has resided in Sundance, WY with her husband since May 2014. She received American Citizenship in January 2019. Viktoriia loves the abundant beauty and wildlife in Wyoming. Her favorite pastimes are gardening, hiking, camping, and exploring her creativity while surrounded by nature. In addition to her passion for writing and painting, she practices reflexology and massage therapy.
She has published several children’s books during her five years living in the United States: Lisa and the Bears, A Devils Tower Secret, and Eagle Feather. Additionally, she is also the illustrator for her books, working in oils and acrylics. The subjects for these books are National Parks, children, and animals. She wants her books to show kindness, mutual understanding, friendliness, and respect for the opinions of other people. She is inspired with book ideas by her visits to national parks, as well as walking and camping in the woods.
Viktoriia will present her new flash fiction memoir book “A Dream of Destiny”

Coming Soon…
March 14: Viktoriia Peterson

Author Talks: Jean Helmer
2023-03-28 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
March 28: Jean Helmer
On March 28, Jean Helmer joins us from Belle Fourche Writers to present From Plains, Podiums, and Pulpits. Helmer’s writing is drawn from roots in high plains agriculture, from her years in education, and from years as a country pastor. A past director of Dakota Writing Project’s Summer institutes, ranch kid/educator/pastor has been published in WyoPoets 2020 Chapbook, in several editions of South Dakota State Poetry Society’s Pasque Petals, in Gyroscope, and in various anthologies and newspapers. Bring your paper and a writing instrument. This Author Talk is interactive!

Coming Soon…
April 4: Robin Carmody
Robin, born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, felt a longing for the Black Hills for as long as she can remember. A modern-day kindred spirit of those early pioneers, Robin’s background includes earning a Class A CDL license, a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, and being Chairperson of the Early Childhood Department at Bay State College in Boston.
For many years, she has devoted time to historical research of Wild Bill Hickok, his circle of friends, and the Black Hills area.
Robin is a mother of two fiercely independent, successful adult children and Nana to two beautiful, energetic grandchildren for whom she originally conceived the idea of the “But Nana” books. Her hobbies include knitting, quilting, participating in donation drives, and traveling.
For the Author Talks presentation, Robin will discuss the four books in the “But Nana” children’s book series, and how her research on Wild Bill Hickok began decades ago, bringing her to this point in time.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2023-04-04 12:30 - 13:30
The April 4 Author Talks with Robin Carmody has been postponed due to weather. We will reschedule our visit with Robin. Please keep your eye on our website for the new date!
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
April 4: Robin Carmody

Robin, born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, felt a longing for the Black Hills for as long as she can remember. A modern-day kindred spirit of those early pioneers, Robin’s background includes earning a Class A CDL license, a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, and being Chairperson of the Early Childhood Department at Bay State College in Boston.
For many years, she has devoted time to historical research of Wild Bill Hickok, his circle of friends, and the Black Hills area.
Robin is a mother of two fiercely independent, successful adult children and Nana to two beautiful, energetic grandchildren for whom she originally conceived the idea of the “But Nana” books. Her hobbies include knitting, quilting, participating in donation drives, and traveling.
For the Author Talks presentation, Robin will discuss the four books in the “But Nana” children’s book series, and how her research on Wild Bill Hickok began decades ago, bringing her to this point in time.

Coming Soon…
April 11: M J McMillan
M J McMillan is a poet, author and semi-retired rancher living near Murdo, SD. A lifelong resident of the state, the self-proclaimed “Poet for the Common Man” currently has three books in print: Poems for the Common Man, volumes one, two and three. The poet and author is presently working on a fourth volume of Common Man poems as well as a volume of cowboy poetry and a volume of short stories. His poetry has been well-received and published in South Dakota Magazine. He has also been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2023-04-25 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room on Tuesdays at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
April 25: Belle Fourche Writers
Coming Soon…
May 2: Geri Mendoza Gutwein
Geri Mendoza Gutwein, Ph.D., poet, educator, and lecturer is professor emerita of English at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College where she taught English, creative writing, and Native American Literature. Her poetry has appeared in the Connecticut Review, The Wildwood Journal, Fledgling Rag, La Libreta an online journal, and in Roots Trunk Sky: IWWG’s Imagination and Justice Meditation-Free Writing Circle. A Pushcart nominee, she is the author of three chapbooks: Every Orbit of the Circle, The Story She Told, and An Utterance of Small Truths. Her erasure poem Dakota 38, a poem that dealt with the 38 Dakota men who were sentenced to death in Mankato, Minnesota, was on exhibit at Birdcage Bookstore in Rapid City, South Dakota. An enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, she lives in the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota. You may visit her website at gerigutwein.com.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2023-05-02 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
May 2: Geri Mendoza Gutwein
Geri Mendoza Gutwein, Ph.D., poet, educator, and lecturer is professor emerita of English at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College where she taught English, creative writing, and Native American Literature. Her poetry has appeared in the Connecticut Review, The Wildwood Journal, Fledgling Rag, La Libreta an online journal, and in Roots Trunk Sky: IWWG’s Imagination and Justice Meditation-Free Writing Circle. A Pushcart nominee, she is the author of three chapbooks: Every Orbit of the Circle, The Story She Told, and An Utterance of Small Truths. Her erasure poem Dakota 38, a poem that dealt with the 38 Dakota men who were sentenced to death in Mankato, Minnesota, was on exhibit at Birdcage Bookstore in Rapid City, South Dakota. An enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, she lives in the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota. You may visit her website at gerigutwein.com.

Coming Soon…
May 16: Leslie Silverman
Silverman is a writer and journalist from Keystone who just released her first book entitled ” From Badger to Blossom with Love”. It’s a combination romance/self-help book based on love letters from her husband. Silverman is a three-time SDNA award-winning journalist and lead reporter at the Hill City Prevailer. She is also a contributing writer for Down Country Roads magazine. She lives in Keystone year-round and is working on a Southern Black Hills adventure stories guidebook for all things outdoor related (from 2 wheels to 2 feet) that she hopes to have published by fall. Silverman’s talk will focus on the process of writing as both a journalist and author as to what and who inspires her writing and decision-making processes.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2023-05-16 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
May 16: Leslie Silverman
Silverman is a writer and journalist from Keystone who just released her first book entitled ” From Badger to Blossom with Love”. It’s a combination romance/self-help book based on love letters from her husband. Silverman is a three-time SDNA award-winning journalist and lead reporter at the Hill City Prevailer. She is also a contributing writer for Down Country Roads magazine. She lives in Keystone year-round and is working on a Southern Black Hills adventure stories guidebook for all things outdoor related (from 2 wheels to 2 feet) that she hopes to have published by fall. Silverman’s talk will focus on the process of writing as both a journalist and author as to what and who inspires her writing and decision-making processes.

Author Talks at the Matthews
2023-05-30 12:30 - 13:30
Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or engage@matthewsopera.com
Featured author…
May 30: Belle Fourche Writers
The Belle Fourche spent April (poetry month) fine-tuning their relationship with poetry. For some of us, poetry is a little uncomfortable and new. Others are accomplished poets. The following Belle Fourche readers will present their poetry at the Author Talks meeting on May 30: Joan Gerkin, Jean Helmer, Lynda Edwards, Meg English, Margie Bolte, and Angela Hastings.
