Photo courtesy of One-Off Exhibitions
Tina Schinabeck - One-Off Exhibitions
Tina Schinabeck with a sign for One-Off Exhibitions
Tina Schinabeck has worked in the museum and library fields for over two decades at regional institutions such as the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, the Museum of Wisconsin Art, and the Milwaukee Art Museum. In 2017, she co-founded The Alice Wilds, a contemporary art gallery located in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood and currently works for The Chipstone Foundation. In August 2025, she embarks on her own exhibition space, One-Off Exhibitions. Located within Real Tinsel (1013 W. Historic Mitchell St.), Schinabeck will present exhibitions to cultivate emerging ideas through curatorial projects and public programming.
How did you get started in this business?
Photo courtesy of One-Off Exhibitions
One-Off Exhibitions entrace
The entrance to One-Off Exhibitions with Schinabeck working in the gallery
Beginning at UW-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and art history, I then went on to pursue a graduate degree in anthropology and museum studies. During this time, I held several internships and positions at local cultural institutions including being a long-time intern at the beloved Dean Jensen Gallery in Milwaukee and held a research assistant position at the Milwaukee Art Museum with the curator of prints and drawings.
I also received a master’s degree in library science and archival studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I was then employed at MAM as the collections manager of works on paper. Upon the retirement of Dean Jensen, I co-founded The Alice Wilds with John Sobczak in the historic Walker’s Point neighborhood which operated for eight years. I currently work as the registrar for The Chipstone Foundation, a Wisconsin-based foundation dedicated to promoting American decorative arts scholarship through collections of American furniture, ceramics and material culture.
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Where do you pull inspiration for your products and services?
I am inspired by the artists and creative energy of our artistic community; always looking and surrounding myself in that environment in person and online.
How do you compete with more prominent brand names around the community?
In the Milwaukee arts community, there seems to be less of a sense of competition and more of a sense of “the more gallery spaces the better” to serve our artists. Each gallery and venue has their own aesthetic and there is no shortage of artists to fill those walls for the public to view. The Milwaukee arts community is close-knit, and we all come out and support each other.
How do you and your business interact with your community? Do you have philanthropic efforts?
It is my goal to support artists in Milwaukee and it is an honor to spotlight the work of local artists here and to bring in other voices for the community to explore, interact with, and to foster connection and inspiration.
Where do you see your business in the next 5-10 years?
In the next few years, I would like to provide artists with the opportunity to show their work to new audiences at regional art fairs, including but not limited to the newly created Door County Contemporary Art Fair.
Are there other people or businesses you’d like to shout out who helped you along the way?
I would like to give a shout out to the artists of The Alice Wilds who encouraged me to continue with creating my own exhibition space; including Shane McAdams and Keith Nelson who own and operate Real Tinsel ( realtinsel.com ). I would especially like to thank Tyanna Buie ( tyannajbuie.com/home.html ) for our conversations, her laughter, and for being a most willing participant of this endeavor. There are so many inspirational local businesses in Milwaukee, including the female-run Form Fine Interiors ( formfineinteriors.com ), spearheaded by Beth Miller, and Bona Drag ( bonadrag.com ), founded by Heather Wojner; their drive and eye for cultivating beautiful spaces and style leave a constant impression.
What challenges do you face as a female business owner in Milwaukee and the current state of the economy?
Opening a business in the arts, whether it is as a curator or co-op starting an exhibition space or if you are a performance artist trying to sell tickets to your next show, will always come with its challenges, especially in this economy and under the current political administration as we have seen public funding pulled and dissolved from long-standing institutions and programs. Being the owner of a female-run business is another layer of this broader challenge but may also come with some advantages and moments of clarity as being the sole proprietor calling the shots on a project that you are passionate about.
Do you have a favorite product or service that you offer?
Image courtesy of One-Off Exhibitions
Tynna J. Buie - Inner-Views Exhibition Graphic
A digital flyer for Tyanna J. Buie's 'Inner-Views' exhibition at One-Off Exhibitions
Of course, all of it! I will love the work of each and every artist that I have the chance to promote through their exhibitions and events.
One-Off’s inaugural exhibition “Now Playing! Tyanna J. Buie” runs Aug. 8– Sept. 20 with an opening reception Friday, Aug. 8, 5-8 p.m. and an artist talk on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m.
One-Off Exhibitions is open Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. or by appointment. For more, visit oneoffexhibitions.com/events
