Artist Talk: Donald Lipski

Known for his poetic combining and altering of existing things, Lipski returns to his hometown to discuss his process of creating large-scale public art installations. Those interested in attending this free public event can register here.

Award-winning artist Donald Lipski presents an artist talk on Saturday, August 20th from 2 to 4 PM at The Art Center Highland Park as part of their Exchange Series. Known for his poetic combining and altering of existing things, Lipski returns to his hometown to discuss his process of creating large-scale public art installations. Those interested in attending this free public event can register here.

Born in Chicago in 1948, Lipski graduated from Highland Park High School in 1965. While in high school, Lipski began sculpting under the tutelage of Nick Prokos and Scotty Walker, earning a Scholastic Art Award in his senior year. He studied American History at the University of Wisconsin, Madison (BA, 1970) and Ceramics at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan (MFA, 1973).

Rising to prominence in 1979 with an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, Lipski’s work has appeared in galleries and museums worldwide. His work resides in the permanent collections of dozens of museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and the Milwaukee Art Museum. Numerous exhibitions of Lipski’s work have appeared in Chicago, including shows at the MCA, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago Arts Club, and Rhona Hoffman Gallery.

Lipski’s many awards include The Guggenheim Fellowship, three National Endowment for the Arts Awards, and The Rome Prize of the American Academy in Rome. A few years ago, he was honored as a Highland Park High School Distinguished Alumni and proudly joined the ranks of such Highland Park luminaries as Admiral Stansfield Turner, actor Gary Sinise, peace activist Karen Nussbaum, novelist William Goldman and astronaut John Grunsfeld.

In recent years Lipski has created dozens of prominent, compelling public sculptures. These works—including Spot! at NYU Children’s Hospital in New York City and The Yearling at Denver Public Library—are overwhelmingly popular with the general public and garnered critical acclaim in the art world. These inventive and ground-breaking works for airports, schools, sports stadiums, and other public sites have become icons and touchstones for their communities and must-see experiences for visitors.

For more information contact media@theartcenterhp.org or call 847-432-1888.