On August 29, 2023, the Sioux Falls Arts Council awarded its annual Awards in the Arts Innovation Project Award to Stacey McMahan of Koch Hazard Architects for her work on the Children’s Home Shelter for Family Safety.

“Stacey and her team, along with the local artists who partnered on the Shelter project, really embraced the mission and goals we had for the Shelter,” says Amy Carter, Program Director.

“The result was an amazing art collection that contributes to giving victims a place to heal. It’s great to have the recognition from the arts community for this collaborative, innovative project.”

The nomination read, in part:

Stacey McMahan joined Koch Hazard in 1997, becoming one of the first female architects licensed in the state of South Dakota. She became the first female partner in the firm, which was founded in 1961, and has played a major role in the design of various landmarks in the arts in this region.

I learned about the new [Children’s Home Shelter for Family Safety’s] purpose and provisions through conversations and viewing blueprints with Stacey… Her innovative and imaginative plans for the new space will become, in my belief, a model for future domestic abuse shelters in other communities. Stacey’s unique vision included not only safe and welcoming housing units but also areas for personal counseling, social interaction, outdoor recreation, quiet reflection and even job training.

Most relevant to me as a visual artist was the depth of understanding that Stacey has about the power of art to touch, inspire and heal the human spirit. She instigated the process of selecting over 60 works of art, filling the Children's Home Shelter's halls and rooms with form, color, beauty and inspiration…[It] provides evocative, diverse imagery that offers comfort, a sense of familiarity and thoughtful distraction from the family personal circumstances of stress, trauma and fear.

And in the lobby, Stacey worked with Michelle Rippentrop of her design team to create a donor wall using braille to express 30 words of kindness... She truly understands the wonder and healing capacity of art and providing a new approach to design in our community. In the spirit of this award, this project provides an important collaboration among caregivers, organizations, designers, craftsmen, and artists. Thanks to Stacey McMahan and all involved, the Shelter is a place of safety, to be sure. But it is so much more than just a building. It’s also a place filled with sunlight, comfort, creativity and hope.

Amy and CEO Michelle Lavallee attended the Sioux Falls Awards in the Arts event and awards presentation.