Sculpture Milwaukee Announces 2023 Curator

Sculpture Milwaukee has named artist John Riepenhoff as the curator of the 2023 exhibition.

The annual outdoor showcase exhibits public art in various places around downtown Milwaukee, centered on Wisconsin Avenue. The non-profit launched the annual exhibition to serve “as a catalyst for community engagement, economic development, and creative placemaking.”

Riepenhoff is a Milwaukee-based artist, gallerist and curator who has shown his work around the world. He is the co-founder and director of The Green Gallery, 1500 N. Farwell Ave. He also manages the Beer Endowment, which partners artists with breweries to promote and raise money for the artist; and The Open Fund, which provides grants to artists making experimental or public-oriented work. Riepenhoff has also contributed works to Sculpture Milwaukee in the past.

“I’m thrilled to join the succession of artist-curators at Sculpture Milwaukee,” Riepenhoff said in a statement. “After watching the organization innovate exhibition-making and engage the local and international scenes over the past six years, I am honored to help continue to grow its legacy with a new cohort of contemporary artists and community.”

The 2023 exhibition does not have a title yet, and the artists and works will be announced in spring. Last year, the showcase, curated by Ugo Rondinone, was called “Nature Doesn’t Know About Us.” In 2022, the pieces arrived Downtown in waves. This was driven by a number of factors ranging from supply chain issues to the time it took for particular flowers to bloom. But it will remain on exhibition through October 2023.

The exhibition curated by Riepenhoff will be the seventh to grace the streets of downtown Milwaukee. Typically, more than dozen artists contribute works, and, as has been the case in past years, all works on display are available for purchase.

“Bringing on board an influential artist, one who embraces the abstract conditions of time and attention underscores Sculpture Milwaukee’s belief in artists, art, and the cultural issues shaping our time,” added Michelle Grabner, who is a member of the organization’s board of directors and executive committee. “John’s proven investment in localized communities and his experience in the contemporary art market will advance Sculpture Milwaukee’s reach and distinguished reputation.”