Fine Arts Hall of Fame Inductees

Congratulations to the 2025 Fine Arts Hall of Fame Inductees!

This year, the inductees will be honored at the Fine Arts Hall of Fame ceremony on Sunday, October 26 during Lancer Days 2025.

Mike Gontesky

Mount Marty Art Faculty from 1968-1980

Mike Gontesky was born in National City, CA. He received a B.A. from San Diego State College (University) in 1964. Mike then entered the Peace Corp and served in Peru from 1964-1966. 

Returning from his service, he studied at the University of Kansas and received a MFA in 1968. He then accepted an art faculty position at Mount Marty where he taught for 12 years from 1968-1980. During his time at Mount Marty College (University), he received a Fulbright Scholarship for the 1971-72 academic year and he taught at Weston-Super-Mare Technical College in Somerset, England. After Mount Marty, he taught at the Hampton Institute (University) for three years. 

Mike then left education to become a newsroom artist for the Daily Press/Times Herald in 1983 until his retirement in 2000. Mike has displayed his artwork in private and public collections as well as in juried art shows. Along with his professional work as an artist, Mike has umpired youth, high school, and college baseball, road-raced motorcycles both nationally and internationally, assisted in the resettlement of Afghan refugees, and has been an assistant chief poll-worker during elections. Mike currently lives in Hampton, Virginia where he lived with wife Pauline until her death in 2021.

Viona “Vi” (Thum) Ranney ‘82

Community Support for the Arts

Viona “Vi” (Thum) Ranney graduated in 1982 from Mount Marty University as a non-traditional student, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Business with a minor in Music. At the time, she had already attained an officer position at First Dakota National Bank and pursued her degree to support and enhance her professional growth.

Vi is well known as an active and dedicated member of the Yankton community. Since the 1960s, she has played a key role in the Yankton Area Concert Association, leading its vital annual membership drive. For 31 years, she also worked as a sales representative for Allied Concert Services, helping to bring live music to communities across a four-state region.

Fundraising and membership development are among Vi’s greatest strengths. She has tirelessly worked to grow local chapters of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and, in the 1980s, led the first formal membership drive for the Lewis & Clark Theatre Company. In addition, she served as a fundraiser for the March of Dimes, covering the area from Yankton to Pierre during the late 1980s.

Vi’s efforts and community spirit have earned her significant recognition. In 2012, she and her husband, Dr. Brooks Ranney, were honored as Yankton’s Citizens of the Year. In 2016, Vi received the KELOLAND Woman of Excellence Award.

A proud alumna of Mount Marty University, Vi speaks fondly of the well-rounded education she received and the mentorship and friendship of the Benedictine Sisters. One of the proudest moments of her life was establishing two scholarships at MMU—one in her name and one in honor of her late husband. She was also part of the founding committee of the Mount Marty Gregorian Fine Arts Association, invited by its founder, Gene Brinkmeyer.

Vi and her husband shared a love of travel and explored the world together. Today, she continues to enjoy organizing and leading tours as a hobby, often in collaboration with the Women’s Club and the Germans from Russia Heritage Society, both of which she remains an active member. 

Paulette Marla Schmidt H'62

Excellence in Vocal Music

Paulette Marla Schmidt is a celebrated opera singer, vocal coach, and expert in breath and speech techniques, whose distinguished career spanned concert halls and opera houses across the United States and Europe.

Born in Denver and raised in Yankton, South Dakota, Paulette began formal voice training early and continued developing her craft through Mount Marty High School and Mount Marty College, where she studied under the guidance of Sisters Madonna Schmitt and Jeanette and Jane Klimisch—mentors who nurtured her exceptional talent and deepened her passion for vocal music.

Her voice earned her a full scholarship to the prestigious Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. There, she completed both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music, studying under the renowned conductor Max Rudolf. As a sophomore, Paulette made her professional debut with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under guest conductor James Levine—an early milestone in what would become an extraordinary performance career.

Paulette quickly rose to prominence, gracing the stages of the New York City Opera, Baltimore Lyric Opera, Andre Tschetschik Opera, Georgetown Opera Company, Morgan State Opera Company, and the Peabody Opera Theater. Among her most cherished roles was Mimi in La Bohème, a part that showcased the warmth and depth of her lyrical soprano voice. She also  performed lead roles in Carmen, Madame Butterfly, Faust, La Traviata to name a few. She also performed in various musicals including The King and I, The Sound of Music, and Down in the Valley among others. 

In addition to her operatic acclaim, she was recognized with the Mu Phi Epsilon Award and became a champion of American vocal music, frequently supported by grants from the Contemporary Music Society. She appeared regularly in concert, oratorio, and television programs across Baltimore, Washington D.C., St. Louis, and San Francisco.

Internationally, Paulette brought her voice to audiences in Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Romania, England, and Germany. Notably, she performed behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, bringing American music to Eastern European listeners in a time of political tension and cultural division—a testament to her belief in music as a bridge across borders.

Eventually settling in Berlin, she continued performing, mentoring emerging singers, and leading masterclasses. Paulette also maintained a strong connection to her South Dakota roots, returning to Mount Marty to present concerts, to share her experiences, and to visit her mentors.

Reflecting on her remarkable journey, she once said her life was “filled with stories and experiences of a lifetime.” From her early beginnings in Yankton to the world’s grand stages, Paulette Marla Schmidt’s artistry and generosity leaves an indelible mark on the world of classical music—and on the countless lives she touches through her voice and teaching.

S. Patricia Ann Toscano '71

Music Education and Direction

Sister Patricia Ann Toscano was born in Omaha, NE.  She joined the Benedictine sisters at Sacred Heart Monastery in 1966. After graduating from Mount Marty College in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in Music, she taught elementary music at Sacred Heart School in Yankton as well as assisting the parish as an organist.  

In 1975 she was asked to be director of music and liturgy for Sacred Heart Monastery while doing various other ministries which were during various years: consulting in four parishes (1975-1982) teaching in the music department at Mount Marty College (1982-1998) as well as music/liturgy workshops to parishes, private studio lessons and directing music for various shows at Lewis and Clark theater. 

From 1982-1986 she coordinated a week-long summer Church Music Camp for high school students on the campus of Mount Marty.  She continues in her ministry to the monastery and teaching.