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Spearfish High School Announces 2025 Fine Arts Hall of Fame Inductee: Visual Artist and Educator Michael “Mikey” Kent KnutsonInduction Ceremony: Friday, December 19, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. MST
Spearfish High School Auditorium
Spearfish High School is proud to announce Michael “Mikey” Kent Knutson as the 2025 inductee into the Spearfish High School Fine Arts Hall of Fame. A nationally exhibiting visual artist, respected educator, and dedicated advocate for the power of the visual arts, Knutson will be formally honored on Friday, December 19, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in the Spearfish High School Auditorium.
Knutson, known throughout his early years in Spearfish simply as Mikey, has built a distinguished career that reflects both artistic excellence and steadfast commitment to the value of arts education. His work continues to demonstrate the essential role of the visual arts in building cultural identity, supporting community well-being, and empowering individuals to engage meaningfully with the world around them.
A Spearfish Native Rooted in Art
Born and raised in Spearfish, Knutson comes from a lineage deeply woven into the region’s artistic and educational traditions. His father, James Knutson, served as an art professor at Black Hills State University, while his mother, Paula Manley, taught K–12 art in the Sturgis school district and is known for her distinctive surreal-realist painting style.
“Growing up with two art educators as parents meant the arts were simply part of everyday life,” Knutson says. “So many of my teachers had studied under my dad; they assumed I would be good at art, expected it even. I guess you could say I grew up trying to live up to the hype.”
As a child, Mikey was a familiar face in the local arts scene, helping his parents with community events like the Spearfish Festival in the Park and youth exhibitions at the Matthews Opera House. Those early experiences set the foundation for the creative path he would later pursue with passion and purpose.
Academic Achievement and Creative Excellence
Knutson earned his Bachelor of Science in Art from Black Hills State University before completing his Master of Fine Arts at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. During graduate study, he developed the cinematic, narrative-driven style that has since become the hallmark of his exhibitions.
His artwork has been featured at institutions such as:
• University of Kansas
• Kansas State University
• Wichita State University
• Colorado State University
• New Mexico Highlands University
• Black Hills State University
• Great Plains Art Institute at Sinte Gleska University
Knutson is also the creator of several major public artworks, including the Majestic Butterfly Mural at the Finney County Municipal Court Building and the Ancient Tortoise Mural at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History.
A frequent presenter at national conferences, including the College Art Association (CAA), Foundations in Art: Theory and Education (FATE), and the Kansas Arts Symposium, he has also served as a juror for esteemed organizations such as the Tallgrass Artist Residency, the Smoky Hill River Festival, and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
Educator, Advocate, and Art Activist
Currently a Professor of Art at Garden City Community College, Knutson has spent nearly a decade strengthening arts education and advocating for cultural access across rural Kansas. Twice voted Professor of the Year by his institution (2021, 2022), he also serves as President of the Garden City Arts Board of Directors.
His commitment to art activism underscores the belief that the visual arts are a vital social force, helping communities articulate their histories, challenge assumptions, imagine new possibilities, and celebrate the stories that define them.
Honoring a Hometown Artist
Though his professional career has taken him across the Great Plains, Knutson’s connection to his hometown remains deeply personal. “Spearfish and the Black Hills will always be home,” he says. “I’d love to make it back someday. That landscape and community have shaped everything I am today.”
Event Details
Induction Ceremony
Friday, December 19, 2025
2:00 p.m.
Spearfish High School Auditorium
The public is invited to join in celebrating Michael “Mikey” Kent Knutson’s remarkable achievements and his ongoing contributions to the visual arts and arts education.
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