Though the 2017 list is nothing close to the record number of Midwestern artists in Michelle Grabner’s 2014 Whitney Biennial, nonetheless America’s longest-running survey of contemporary art is still stretching its neck outside of the five boroughs. Co-curators Christopher Y. Lew and Mia Locks have selected seven Midwest-based artists to join their roster of sixty-three in next year’s exhibition. The country’s recent inward turn has focused increasingly on Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit and Milwaukee as bellwethers of the “silent masses” as well as the objects of much-needed reflection, as these cities continue to vie for the top spots in national segregation rankings. And while this year’s Midwestern representation still fails to measure up to the roughly twenty percent share that we make of the country’s total population, it seems that it is becoming harder for coastal curators to ignore our relevance.
Cauleen Smith – Chicago, IL – Website
Sky Hopinka – Milwaukee, WI – Website
William Pope.L – Chicago, IL – Wikipedia
Harold Mendez – Chicago, IL – Website
John Riepenhoff – Milwaukee, WI – Website
Maya Stovall – Detroit, MI – Website
Dani Leventhal – Columbus, OH – Website
(h/t Newcity Art)