Sara Mulder
Carved in Color
Exhibiting July 17 - August 31 2026
Opening Reception
Saturday, July 18th 2026 5-7pm
405 N. River Street - Hot Springs, SD 57747
In Carved in Color, Sara Mulder steps into her first solo exhibition. Her work pushes past what the eye expects to find in South Dakota's landscapes. Drawing from the state’s familiar forms, but resisting the visual shorthand of the Black Hills.
High-chroma color and the movement of the paint drive the intensity of the work. Visible brushwork, strong directional lines, and passages of broken color give the landscapes and wildlife an active, almost shifting quality.
The result is a contemporary body of work that feels storied and vividly alive.
"To experience South Dakota is to experience vastness. By amplifying the color profile of this region, I am trying to match the immense, overwhelming scale of the land with an equally powerful visual volume."
Sara Mulder is an artist based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art and Education from Dordt University and has spent more than 20 years developing her painting practice alongside her work as an art educator.
Working primarily in watercolor and acrylic, Mulder creates color-drenched interpretations of Midwestern landscapes, florals, and still life compositions. Her work is guided by the interaction of brushwork, intense color, shape, and space, often balancing finished passages with loose, linear expression.
In 2025, Mulder transitioned into full-time studio practice after more than two decades of teaching art.
Her work has been exhibited nationally, including in Culver City, California, and Egg Harbor, Wisconsin.