MIAD instructor selected to produce work for Farm/Art DTour

Matthew Vivirito, adjunct instructor at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), is one of eight artists and artist teams selected to create site-responsive art for Wormfarm Institute’s biannual Farm/Art DTour.

Farm/Art DTour, the popular self-guided tour encompassing 50 miles of rural Wisconsin farmland in Sauk County, encourages viewers (or DTourists) to explore everything from large-scale artwork and poetry to local markets and performances. This year, the installation returns October 5 –14, 2024.

Vivirito’s contribution to the Farm/Art DTour, entitled Framework, is “a site-specific wooden sculpture built to create a circular framing device for viewing the surrounding landscape,” he explains. “It allows viewers to walk within the work and witness changes in natural light and shadow as they navigate through it.”

“I am hopeful this project allows me to build larger scale work while emerging into the world of public art,” Vivirito says. “My intentions are often to draw audiences into the work, to physically engage and interact with the things I make. The scale and site specificity of this piece are an exciting opportunity to engage with the local landscape and environment. It is also an amazing opportunity to be a part of such a talented cohort of other artists.”

The Wormfarm Institute received a record number of applications—156 applications from 29 states and 15 countries—for its 2024 Farm/Art DTour. Vivirito joins individual artists and artist groups after a two-part juried selection.

“I also see the DTour as an educational experience for its audience and hope to bring the values and lessons on environment, agriculture and rural community back into the classroom as an educator,” continues Vivirito, who most recently taught the popular guitar-building elective at MIAD.

Vivirito appreciates that the Farm/Art DTour brings viewers together from urban and rural settings. “I hope to create an opportunity for a diverse audience to share an experience and become a part of a landscape,” he says.

“Part of the proposal was to align its frame with the sunset. While difficult, it will be exciting to see how well this can be attained. There are a lot of other challenges working at this scale, working outside and building something in a short timeframe. The weather and distance from resources is a particularly difficult aspect of this piece. It is an ambitious piece, but I am excited to take on the project.”

Framework builds on a series of Vivirito’s sculptures, titled Cradle, which are made from reused ash wood. Cradle is on view at Mitchell Street Arts in Milwaukee.

In addition to teaching, Vivirito was recently awarded the inaugural Ruth Arts + MIAD Artist Grant, alongside 10 of his colleagues. “I am grateful for the support I received this year from MIAD through the Ruth Arts Grant and am excited for the upcoming exhibition with the other recipients,” he says.

Keep up with Vivirito on his website, plan your Farm/Art DTour trip and learn more about MIAD’s 3D & Sculpture Labs!