SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - South Dakota native and one of the word's most famous and prolific artists of wildlife and rural life, Terry Redlin, died Sunday night at the age of 78.
Redlin retired from painting in 2007 and suffered from dementia.
"His art was heart to heart", says Julie Ranum, Executive Director of the Redlin Art Center in Watertown, "He painted memories that were near and dear to him, but they were also our memories."
The Redlin Art Center in Watertown, which opened in 1997, holds a treasure of the the artist's wildlife painting.
South Dakota Governorn Dennis Daugaard is requesting that flags fly at half-staff statewide on the day of Redlin's funeral. Arrangements have not been announced.
Daugaard said a statement that "Terry Redlin was an iconic South Dakota artist. For many South Dakotans, Terry's work brought to life our fondest memories of our state's outdoor heritage and rural routes. He left a legacy in Watertown and throughout the nation."