SIOUX FALLS, SD - In recent years, governments on all levels have been forced to make tough decisions, and programs have watched funding get cut or eliminated completely.  In many cases, that includes funding for the arts. But now, a group of South Dakota artists have taken it upon themselves to raise money for the arts.

On two Thursdays each month, Club David in downtown Sioux Falls is transformed from night club to art studio. But when the artists step into this studio, they're in for a battle, a battle for the arts.

"You're not going to see a lot of wildlife. You're not going to see a lot of landscapes because this is the new generation of art that's really coming into its own here in our area," Micah Luke said.

Luke is the founder of Battle for the Arts and an artist himself. He had the idea about eight years ago but all the pieces didn't come together until recently. Now the battle is on, putting two artists against each other in each round. Their battlefield is two, four feet by four feet canvases. Their weapons are permanent markers.

"Art is always put on this pedestal and it really doesn't always deserve to be. Art should be engaging, it's for the people.  It should be exciting, it should be fun," Luke said.

To make sure it's fun, the 30-minute battles are energized with a deejay spinning music. With that limited amount of time and a live crowd watching, the artists feel the pressure.

"It's a little nerve wracking. It took a little bit of pumping yourself up, getting ready for it, kind of practicing, knowing that whatever you draw is just going to stay," Kiel Mutschelknaus said.

This week's battle pits Kiel Mutschelknaus against Robert Bruce. Each entered the battle with a game plan, but welcomed the idea of performing for a live crowd.

"That's one of the things that's part of my art is getting out and letting people see how you do it, do your work, how the things actually take place for a finished product," Bruce said.

The battles are designed like a sports tournament, meaning each night a winner is crowned and that artist moves on. The championship event will be held in September.  Then all of the art will be auctioned off with proceeds benefiting the Sioux Empire Arts Council and its efforts to promote the local arts.

"Which sometimes is hard to raise funds for because it's behind the scenes and it's not a product per se.  It's just trying to promote the arts and helping people achieve their dreams in the arts," Deb Klebanoff of the Sioux Empire Arts Council said.

But already the battles are bringing a new awareness about the local arts scene. With each event the crowds are growing, and that's exactly what planners hoped for.

"Initially our idea was to have our artists creating on stage, have the dance floor open; people can dance and check out the art. That's still all open and people can dance and check out the art, but nobody really dances. Everybody just stands there and they're mesmerized by this creation process unfolding in front of them," Luke said.

What's also unfolding is an awareness of arts in a younger crowd. And with a recipe of music, lights, a club atmosphere and art, organizers are already looking forward to another season of battles and a possible expansion to other cities.

"Every time you come to a battle, it's something new.  It's different. It's art you're never going to see anywhere else. It's never going to be the same process. It's always something different and that's the really exciting thing for us," Luke said.

And exciting for the crowd. Each time they pick a winner, they're helping set up the next match, and increasing the awareness of the talents we have here in the heartland.