This year is a special one for me, as 2022 marks my 10th year as an independent curator, a career made possible in large part thanks to the art institutions across the country and here in Milwaukee that present exhibitions and to the donors, large and small, who fund them. While I have spent most of the last decade creating and traveling unique exhibitions, I have also had the opportunity to research and write a significant part of a new historical survey on the visual arts in Wisconsin. The book, A Creative Place: The History of Wisconsin Art (2021), chronicles, celebrates and connects our state’s rich artistic talent to what was happening elsewhere in the country. Covering the post-war period meant meeting a multitude of artists and collectors whose creativity and support for the arts has helped to make this a truly “creative place.”
Another significant date in 2022 is the 200th anniversary of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted’s birth on April 26, 1822. As part of a nationwide celebration, the Friends of Villa Terrace are presenting “In the Park with Olmsted: A Vision for Milwaukee,” opening April 14. This exhibition—my sixth at Villa Terrace—features Olmsted’s life and legacy, his designs for Lake, Riverside and Washington Parks and artwork inspired by his many achievements. The accompanying catalogue, made possible by generous donors, will help keep Olmsted’s contributions to the Milwaukee Park System front and center for decades.
Visit: Olmstedmilwaukee.org
Photo Credit: Erol Reyal
