Photo courtesy of Sarah Kocher

You could probably call Terri Schuver a curator, if you wanted to. After all, as owner of Sticks and Steel, she has already earned the title.

Sticks and Steel is an art gallery turned boutique that has been growing steadily on Eighth Street for 14 years. Stocked with sculptures, pottery, home décor, glasswork, jewelry, clothes and accessories, it truly is a collection.

And, most importantly to Sticks and Steel, it’s an American-made collection.

Terri began as a metalworker, selling goods from her wholesale company, Prairie Dance, across the country 20 years ago.

“While she was doing that, she was noticing all these other fabulous products that are American-made or handmade, and she just felt Sioux Falls needed that,” marketing manager M. Cotton said. “Everything we carry is made in America. It’s a dabble of quite a few different areas.”

Photo courtesy of Sarah Kocher

These selections are made at different markets across the country, from Atlanta to Dallas to Las Vegas to Philadelphia, and brought back to Sioux Falls to enrapture customers.

“They’ve been doing this for so long that they just know what our customer base is going to be interested in,” M. said. Many of the mini-collections in the store feature just small samples of an artist’s work, and that sample will grow if it goes over well. A large portion of that art includes metal jewelry, ranging in style from earthy and organic to polished and glam.

Whatever it is, M. says, “you can rest assured that nothing we carry here is going to be anything like we find in the area.”

Photo courtesy of Sarah Kocher

Terri has now collected a purchasable, modern museum of North American art. Part of this includes American-made clothing, which M. says can be very difficult to find. The silhouettes are laid-back, flowy and contemporary. M. says the store is currently working on expanding its clothing options.

After all, with new artists to uncover and niches to reveal, at Sticks and Steel, change is constant. The exhibits are shifting as products are discovered by both proprietor and customer. But what doesn’t change?

“Fun and unique and American-made,” M says.