Bill Richards is recipient of Prairie Disciple Award
If you ask Bill Richards what his main role is with the “Fragments of a Dream” Pageant, he’ll proudly tell you.
“Gopher,” he says with his trademark Richards chuckle. “If someone needs something, I go-fer it!”
Oh, but it’s not that simple, and the longtime pageant do-it-all was recently honored with the 2025 Southwest Minnesota Arts Council’s Prairie Disciple Award, which provides awareness and recognition of one person each year from southwest Minnesota whose activities and involvement substantially contribute to the arts over an extended period of time.
“It’s very nice,” Richards humbly said about the recognition. “I really can’t accept it just for myself, because there’s so many other people that are involved who make things happen. Theater is not a solo experience at all. People have listened to me and done some of things I’ve told them to, and everything has come out pretty well. SMAC has been a great inspiration and help to keep the arts alive and prospering.”
Theater has been a part of Richards life since 1973 when he taught Oral Communication and Theater at Flandreau (SD) Indian School, according to the SMAC website.
He became involved with the pageant and a script writer in 1979; that’s also when he assumed the mantle of technical director, leading the charge to construct the buildings on the outdoor sets. He also organized the Loose Gravel Music Festival from 2021-2024.
Theater is “kind of in my blood,” he said. “I’ve never really done much as an actor; I did some in high school. I started directing in high school with the church youth group, and as a kid, we had circuses in our garage.”
Richards served as principal at Westbrook-Walnut Grove High School from 1978-2016 and was the live theater director there from 19902020, when he directed and produced more than 90 shows.
Richards was nominated for the award by artist and poet Dan Wahl of Walnut Grove; other people wrote letters of recommendation as well. Nominations were evaluated and scored by the SMAC Board of Directors.
In her letter of recommendation, foamier pageant actor Deb Kuehl said she has seen Richards interact with the young and the old.
“He is passionate about the arts and will always help out students and adults who need a flexible schedule so they can join the arts,” Kuehl wrote. “He has taught all of us. I can’t tell you everything this man has done to help our community. I see Bill as always creating art, music and relationships with his community. This man has given his all to this town, and anyone in the town of Walnut Grove would agree.”
In recognizing these individuals publicly, SMAC believes these awards raise the profile of the arts in their community and throughout the 18-county and two sovereign nations of the SMAC region. The public is invited to join SMAC in publicly honoring Richards at its annual celebration of the arts and artists in the region at the Pipestone Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Sept. 27.
