Milwaukee-based artist, curator and gallerist John Riepenhoff will curate the 2023 installment of Sculpture MIlwaukee, organizers announced Tuesday.
This year’s event is the seventh for the annual outdoor public art exhibition on the streets of Downtown Milwaukee. It will be installed by summer and remain on view into the autumn.
“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,” said Michelle Grabner, who serves on the Sculpture Milwaukee 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.”
The list of artists and works coming to this year’s exhibition is expected to be announced in spring.
A Milwaukee native, Riepenhoff co-owns The Green Gallery here and runs The Open Fund and the Beer Endowment. He has also co-organized Milwaukee International and Dark Fairs. He also curates the ongoing John Riepenhoff Experience at a variety of locations, including Misako and Rosen, Tokyo;, Night Gallery, Los Angeles; and Good Weather, Arkansas.
He has been involved in exhibitions and curatorial projects at Various Small Fires, Dallas (2023); Broadway, New York (2022); John Michael Kohler Art Preserve, Sheboygan, Wisconsin (2021); the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2017); The Suburban, Milwaukee (2007, 2008, 2017); Marlborough, New York (2013, 2014, 2016, 2017); Poor Farm, Wisconsin (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016); Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN (2016); Nathalie Karg, New York (2015); Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta (2015); Inova, Milwaukee (2010, 2015); 356 Mission Rd, Los Angeles (2014); Crystal Bridges, Bentonville, Arkansas (2014); Lynden Sculpture Garden, Milwaukee (2011, 2013); Tate Modern, London (2010); and Swiss Institute, New York (2008).
“I'm thrilled to join the succession of artist-curators at Sculpture Milwaukee,” said Riepenhoff.
“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.”
For more information, visit sculpturemilwaukee.com.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
