Sculpture Milwaukee has named Wauwatosa native John Riepenhoff, an internationally-renowned artist, curator and gallerist, as its new executive director.
Riepenhoff is currently serving as curator for the 2023 Sculpture Milwaukee exhibition “Actual Fractals, Act I.”
Sculpture Milwaukee is an annual outdoor public sculpture exhibition focused mainly on Downtown.
“I see my leadership role at Sculpture Milwaukee as an opportunity to forward the direction established in the first seven years of our organization, with respect for major currents in art while giving attention to undercurrents and the unexpected, with a focus on underrepresented artists,” Riepenhoff said.
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Riepenhoff replaces Brian Schupper, who had led Sculpture Milwaukee since November 2018, marking a shift in placing the organization’s day-to-day leadership in the hands of an artist.
“Curating this year’s exhibition, I experienced first-hand the visions of our artists, the strength of our bonds with community partners, the ambitions of our founders and the immense skill of our staff,” Riepenhoff said.
In his new role with Sculpture Milwaukee, Riepenhoff will continue to lead curatorial efforts as well as the organization at large.
“As planning begins for 2024, when all eyes will be on Milwaukee as host of a national political convention, John’s expertise, tireless commitment and well-earned reputation within the local, national, and global art community positions our organization to elevate from our foundational phase to a position of permanence,” Sculpture Milwaukee’s board chairman Wayne Morgan said.
Riepenhoff is co-owner of The Green Gallery, a contemporary art space on the East Side that he started in his attic in 2003 and has since become a destination gallery for artists worldwide. He also runs The Open Fund, an arts grant program, and the Beer Endowment, a line of beers inspired by and in support of arts projects.
He has also co-organized Milwaukee International and Dark Fairs, is an inventor of artistic platforms for the expression of others and is a regular food ideator.
“I have a lot of roles in the art world,” Riepenhoff said. “I’m an artist, a gallerist, a curator. Leading this organization, I have a unique skill where I can relate to a lot of our partners. I know how to talk to artists and meet their needs, I know how to communicate with galleries and lenders. I was an art handler and an artist assistant in the early years of my career. I really value all the labor and all the levels of collaboration and collective contribution and authorship that goes into creating culture.”
Riepenhoff said his vision for the organization favors collaboration over competition.
“I really believe there are so many world-class, artist-supporting institutions in our region, like the Milwaukee Art Museum, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Lynden Sculpture Garden, the Haggerty Museum of Art, among others,” he said. “I really want to continue to foster this environment in Milwaukee, where not only do artists work together to collaborate but so do institutions in order to share resources and project the voice of what culture can look like in this region.”
Milwaukee’s size and scale is conducive for the growth of artists, he said.
“There are qualities about Milwaukee that some may seem as challenges, but I’ve embraced the unique qualities of the city as incredible resources,” Riepenhoff said. “It’s a great city for artists because of the low cost of living and the ease of life. To me, it’s way more attractive than many bigger cities. One of the things I’m quite interested in from a curatorial standpoint is our location.”
Riepenhoff is also motivated by Sculpture Milwaukee’s ability to drive interest in contemporary art among many groups.
“Sculpture Milwaukee has a really big range of audiences, mainly because we are free,” he said. “You don’t have to be seeking out our art to engage with it. You can literally just bump into it on the street. It comes to you. We have 39 pieces on the streets right now, mostly Downtown.”
Artists and those who are educated in art have also shown strong interest in Sculpture Milwaukee, with some traveling from other states and countries to witness the programming.
“Then you have an audience of people who collect and patronize art,” he added. “We’re part of a really incredible, high-quality international art conversation.”
Most of the works that are part of Sculpture Milwaukee are for sale, driving interest among companies and individuals who purchase art, the proceeds which can benefit future programming.
“One of the qualities about having art in public spaces is just the radical accessibility of it,” Riepenhoff said. “I’m welcoming people to have opinions about it. That has the power to bring people into other conversations about art appreciation and bring them in the doors of these incredible institutions in our region and maybe they even bring some of the artwork into their homes.”
Riepenhoff, 41, graduated from Wauwatosa East High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the Peck School of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
He said he’s seen a growing interest in contemporary art by a more highly diverse audience in the Milwaukee area over the past two decades.
“I see a growing critical mass of appreciation,” said Riepenhoff, who was named the 2105 Milwaukee Arts Board Artist of the Year. “We’ve had such a strong artist-driven community for years and there’s been more and more engagement with the general public. It’s a really exciting moment right now.”
Riepenhoff’s work spans the globe.
“I have an international art practice through my curatorial and gallery work. I have a big presence in the international art scene,” he said. “I was in New York City last week. Over the last year, I’ve also had solo exhibitions of my own work in Brussels, Dallas and Little Rock, Arkansas.”
Creating visibility for what he refers to as “underrepresented” arts scenes, like Little Rock, is part of his mission.
“I have a vested interest in participating in these places that have a ton of culture but just don’t have as many resources,” Riepenhoff said.
Riepenhoff sees an opportunity to create conversations around art when Milwaukee hosts the Republican National Convention in July 2024.
“Undeniably, having art in a public space creates an opportunity for a backdrop for a public spotlight,” he said. “For me, it’s just about supporting artists and getting their voices out in the public space. Hopefully, we can draw attention to this thriving, cultural scene here. We can obviously celebrate diversity and celebrate conversation and voices. There is the potential for a lot of attention on Milwaukee with the convention and I think that the sculptures and our programming will be visible as a backdrop.”
Riepenhoff envisions art appreciation gaining even more positive momentum moving forward.
“There’s this energy that’s been bubbling to the surface in Milwaukee,” he said. “There’s been growing patronage and public support, and I think it’s very symbolic that a young but quite established art institution like Sculpture Milwaukee has invited an artist to be its executive director.”
Fortifying Sculpture Milwaukee’s presence is among Riepenhoff’s goals in his new role.
“I hope, for people who can’t travel internationally, that we can bring things here and give them a sense of perspective just by walking through the streets of Milwaukee,” Riepenhoff said. “I also hope we can be a resource to artists and art lovers and that we can stimulate conversation while also being a resource for businesses and people who are looking to invest in art.”
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