Offsite Exhibitions

OUT OF THE SUITCASE 2026: An Exhibition of Awardees from the Mary L. Nohl Suitcase Export Fund

Location: Brooks Stevens Gallery, 273 E. Erie St., Milwaukee, W​I

This biennial exhibition brings together 2024-2025 recipients of the Mary L. Nohl Suitcase Export Fund, highlighting contemporary art practice within Milwaukee’s creative community.

Recent global events have reshaped how artists create, the stories and messages they share, and the ways we collectively navigate the world. Art is everywhere. Embedded in daily life and responsive to change.

This biennial exhibition brings together recipients of the Mary L. Nohl Suitcase Export Fund, celebrating the artists who continue to shape Milwaukee's vibrant creative community. Administered by the Lynden Sculpture Garden in collaboration with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, the Mary L. Nohl Suitcase Export Fund helps visual artists offset the costs of exhibiting their work beyond the four-county region of Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington counties. By supporting opportunities to exhibit outside the region, the fund expands the visibility of Milwaukee artists, strengthens their professional careers, and shares the city's creative talent with audiences across the country and beyond.

Now in its twenty-third cycle, the Suitcase Export Fund demonstrates how modest investments can generate meaningful impact—amplifying artistic voices, advancing careers, and positioning Milwaukee as a vital center for contemporary art. The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design is proud to present this exhibition, creating a space for dialogue among awardees while fostering connections across disciplines, practices, and perspectives.

Participating Artists

Ben Balcom, Siara Berry, Lois Bielefeld, Phoenix Brown, Samantha Drake, Max Hey, Asher Imtiaz, Nykoli Koslow, Okja Kwon, Tanner MacArthur, Angela Piehl, Shane Walsh, Steve Wetzel, Nia Wilson, Open Kitchen (Rudy Medina + Alyx Christensen)