The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design will host an exhibition of the recipients of the Nohl Suitcase Fund.
The Nohl Suitcase Fund contributes to the creative health of the region by supporting local artists at all career stages, from the emerging to the established; alleviating some of the financial burden faced by artists who want to exhibit their work at a distance; and by getting the work of Milwaukee artists out into the world. The support provided for artist transportation has enabled artists to be on site to install work--important to most artists and indispensable to those working in the areas of installation and site-specific art. The opportunity to attend openings, where artists can meet with collectors and distributors and make critical connections with gallery owners, is consistently cited as a significant benefit. The Fund also creates opportunities to expose work in new regions and to new audiences, to meet other artists and see their work, to sell work, and to plan new projects. Although the Fund does not directly support residencies or ancillary activities, awardees have taken full advantage of opportunities to make new work, deliver gallery talks, and participate in symposia at their exhibition sites.
Many awardees have reported on opportunities created by their presence at openings and exhibition venues: future collaborations, plans for artist exchanges with the host city, invitations to return as a visiting artist or for a residency. They have commented frequently on the value of being able to show their work to new audiences, or to reconnect with communities they had left many years before.