City of Sioux Falls, Arts Community Dedicates We Can Do It! Sculpture

Sioux Falls, South Dakota: The busy intersection of 11th Street and Dakota Avenue in downtown Sioux Falls has a new neighbor—a little girl, made of bronze, holding the Rosie the Riveter pose while standing atop a globe, broadcasting a message of empowerment and working together. The sculpture, tilted We Can Do It!, was formally dedicated on September 19, 2023, to its long-term home by the City of Sioux Falls and representatives from the local arts community.

We Can Do It!, created by artists Lee Leuning and Sherri Treeby, was part of the 2021 SculptureWalk Sioux Falls exhibition. SculptureWalk Sioux Falls is a nonprofit that hosts an annual exhibition of art displayed in downtown areas. SculptureWalk names “Best of Show” and “People’s Choice” awards every year, the latter voted on by the public.

We Can Do It! received the 2021 “People’s Choice” award and was purchased by the City of Sioux Falls to be part of its permanent public art collection, which the City does every year with a winning sculpture from SculptureWalk Sioux Falls.

“The City of Sioux Falls is proud to support and celebrate this program that has brought beautiful and vibrant artwork to downtown Sioux Falls for more than two decades,” said Diane deKoeyer, Neighborhood and Preservation Planner for the City of Sioux Falls. “The City and Visual Arts Commission work closely every year to determine the best long-term homes for the City’s public art collection. We Can Do It! and its message of empowerment is a perfect fit for the work EmBe does to support women and families. We hope our neighbors who travel this intersection each day find it to be a helpful and powerful reminder of what we can do as individuals and as a community.”

While the sculpture is owned by the City of Sioux Falls, it will be located on EmBe’s downtown property.

“We hope that our community members stop down to see the new sculpture in front of EmBe,” said Kerri Tietgen, EmBe’s Chief Executive Officer. “The sculpture titled, We Can Do It, could not be a better fit for us. She is perfect!”

Previously, We Can Do It! was on display in front of the City Center (231 North Dakota Avenue). Sculptures are displayed there for about one year until a long-term home is found, and the next year’s winner replaces it. The 2022 winner, Elk by Travis Sorenson, is a recycled stainless steel and copper sculpture that is currently on display at the City Center location.

Voting for SculptureWalk’s 2023 People’s Choice Award is open now through September 30. Visit www.sculpturewalksiouxfalls.com for details.