TRUE DAKOTAN PHOTO/DUKE

Margaret Schmidt of Lane celebrated 25 years of teaching art classes at the annual wrap-up party and pot luck last week. Margaret is pictured at the Opera House in the center of the front row with most of this year’s students. The classes are conducted in Margaret’s basement at her home in Lane. Three of the students have attended all 25 years of the classes. They are Eileen Hanks of White Lake, pictured front row left; and Lloyd and Audrey Kempf of Woonsocket who couldn’t attend this year’s party. At the gathering, Margaret thanked her students for making the past 25 years enjoyable and committed to continuing the class at least one more year. The art class and their nearly 20 works of art each year are largely responsible for the Prairie Hills Art Show continuing to be successful each summer. Shown are, back row, from left: Arlene Hawley, Wendy Bergeleen, John Schmidt, Jim Schmidt, Lowell Stanley, Louise Schaller, Allegra Fink, Kathleen Balster and Teresa Fonder. Front row: Helen Schneller, Darleen Higgins, Patricia Schmidt, Margaret Schmidt, Eileen Hanks (one of the three who have attended all 25 classes!) Peg Cosby and Bernice Mettler. Class members not pictured are Lindsey Mettler, Don Merkle, Kay Jorgenson, and the other two 25 year attendants – Lloyd and Audrey Kempf. Classes have run continuously each fall since their beginning in 1983. Over the years there have been 122 different folks who have been in the class. Some came a few years but many have attended a number of years. Towns that have been represented in her classes are, White Lake, Plankinton, Forestburg, Huron, Gann Valley, Woonsocket, Alpena, Wessington Springs and Lane.

“We have a Christmas party each year for all the families to show off the paintings done,” she said. ” The last few years the parties have turned into a pot-luck supper with a ‘show and tell’ afterwards so each artist explains about their painting, why they chose that subject, or interesting facts about it.”