The Life and Career of Michelle Grabner
Michelle Grabner is an artist, curator, and critic based in Wisconsin. Born in Oshkosh, United States, she has established a significant presence in the contemporary art world through her multifaceted roles. She holds a B.F.A. in painting and drawing and an M.A. in art history from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, followed by an M.F.A. from Northwestern University. Since 1996, she has served as the Crown Family Professor of Art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her professional recognition includes being named a Guggenheim Fellow by The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and being inducted into the Wisconsin Academy of Art and Science.
As a curator, Grabner has been involved in several prominent exhibitions, including the 2014 Whitney Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the 2016 Portland Biennial, and the 2018 Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art, titled "An American City," for which she served as Artistic Director. Her work is held in numerous prestigious collections, such as the:
Artistic Practice and Writing
Grabner's artistic practice is characterized by an enduring interest in vernacular patterns drawn from domestic life. Her works often feature intricate geometries, including fractal arrays of flowers, starbursts, swirls, and spirals that emerge from deep histories of ornamentation. Her solo exhibitions have been held at venues such as James Cohan in New York and EFREMIDIS in Berlin.
Beyond her visual work, Grabner is an active writer and editor. Her reviews are published in Artforum, X-tra, and New City. She co-edited THE STUDIO READER and edited the two-volume exhibition catalog An American City: Front International. Additionally, she co-founded The Suburban in Oak Park, Illinois, and The Poor Farm in rural Waupaca County, Wisconsin.
