Who Where We
“who where we” examines our relationship with “place,” whether it’s somewhere that defines who we are, a space that takes on characteristics from those who use it, or a place in memory or destination we thriving towards. The exhibition features artwork by Milwaukee artists Stephanie Barenz, Lois Bielefeld and Barbara Miner, and curated by WPCA’s Howard Leu.
About the Artists
“Transition Rising” by Stephanie Barenz
Stephanie Barenz is an artist who makes mixed media work about place, sojourning, and storytelling. She also creates commissioned paintings that honor the stories of her clients. She received her MFA in Visual Arts from Washington University in St. Louis in 2009 and spent a year studying at Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy.
Barenz has completed artist residencies through the Students Artist League of New York, the Pfister Hotel AiR program in Milwaukee, and at the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative. Her work has been acquired by notable public collectors, such as Northwestern Mutual and Alverno College and has private collectors across the United States and in Europe. Her paintings have been exhibited at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Museum of Wisconsin Art, Dean Jensen Gallery, the John Michael Kohler Art Center, Expo 72 in Chicago, and more.
Barenz’s work has been featured in The Artist’s Magazine, the Journal Sentinel, MPTV, Milwaukee Magazine, the Huffington Post, and many more.
To learn more please visit her website.
“Nuco” by Lois Bielefeld, part of Weeknight Dinners series
Lois Bielefeld is a series based artist who splits her time between fine art and commercial photography. She works in photography, film, audio and installation. Lois lives in Milwaukee, WI with her daughter and fiancé. Lois has her BFA in photography from Rochester Institute of Technology and from 2003-2010 she lived in NYC. Besides photography, she feels passionate about traveling, swimming, urban gardening and bicycling adventures. She has shown at The Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, the Museum of Wisconsin Art, ArtStart, Portrait Society Gallery, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Parkside, UW-La Crosse and is a 2012 recipient of the Nohl Fellowship. In 2015 Lois had a ten-week artist residency in Bourglinster, Luxembourg through the Museum of Wisconsin Art and the Luxembourg Ministry of Culture. Bielefeld is represented by Portrait Society Gallery in Milwaukee.
Lois Bielefeld is represented by Portrait Society Gallery. All of her work in this exhibit is lend to us, courtesy of PSG.
For more information, visit her website.
“Warren Harper, sitting at his favorite spot in his bar, along Green Bay Blvd.” by Barbara Miner, part of 53206MKE series.
Barbara Miner is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years’ experience. Her articles and/or photos have appeared in publications ranging from The New York Times to The Progressive and Rethinking Schools magazine. Her photography series Anatomy of an Avenue chronicles the 16 miles of North Avenue in metropolitan Milwaukee as it connects more neighborhoods, communities, cities and counties than any other major thoroughfare in the region. It is a microcosm of Milwaukee — one of the country’s most segregated cities.
Barbara is aso a published author, with the most recent book “Lessons from the Heartland: A Turbulent Half-Century of Public Education in an Iconic American City” (New York: New Press, 2013). Among its awards is the “Studs and Ida Terkel Prize,” given annually by New Press to celebrate authors “who share Studs Terkel’s commitment to exploring aspects of America that are underrepresented by mainstream media.”
Her celebrated featured article and photo series “53206MKE: A Dream Deferred,”on the 53206 Milwaukee ZIP code, was published in the February 2015 issue of Milwaukee Magazine.
For more information, visit her website.