A Summit League x Sioux Falls Community Public Art Project
When the Summit League Basketball Championships tip off at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, the excitement won’t end at the final buzzer. Through Full Court Color: Arena to Asphalt, tournament energy will spark a months-long creative movement that continues across Sioux Falls neighborhoods. Designed by artist Les Cotton in partnership with the Sioux Falls Arts Commission and Parks & Recreation, the project begins as a live public art activation inside the arena — and evolves into a lasting, community-driven legacy in ten city parks.
 
Championship Week: The Creative Kickoff
During tournament weekend, Les will work live in the Sioux Falls Convention Center concourse, creating an 8’ x 8’ mural while hosting an interactive Design Lab for youth and families. Kids will complete “Court Icon” prompt sheets, contribute drawings, and help generate the visual building blocks that will shape the final backboard designs. The live mural, youth art zone, and DJ-powered atmosphere create a high-energy creative hub — but this is just the beginning.

Les will be present within the Design Lab within the Sioux Falls Convention Center during these hours:

• Thursday, March 5: 5pm - 6 pm
• Friday, March 6: 10:45am – 1:30pm  
• Saturday, March 7: 12pm – 5:00pm (before and after games)
• Sunday, March 8: Before Championship Games

After the Tournament: Community-Led Design Development
Once the tournament concludes, the real transformation begins. Les will continue working with community input to refine and remix the artwork created during championship week. Youth sketches and live mural elements will be translated into ten cohesive, high-impact backboard designs — each rooted in the creativity of local participants. All ten designs will be formally presented to both the Visual Arts Committee and the Parks & Recreation Board for approval before fabrication and installation. This extended design phase ensures that the final installations reflect not only tournament excitement, but authentic community contribution.
 
Citywide Installation & Ongoing Engagement
The approved designs will be fabricated as professional vinyl backboard wraps and installed at ten Sioux Falls neighborhood parks — extending the Summit League’s presence into everyday spaces where families gather and youth play.
 
A Lasting Legacy
Full Court Color is more than a tournament activation. It is a bridge — connecting arena energy to neighborhood asphalt, professional athletics to youth creativity, and a championship moment to a summer of continued connection. From the first sketch in the concourse to the final shot on a neighborhood court, this project ensures that the impact of the Summit League lives well beyond tournament week.