Joe B. Milosevich

On view in the Main Gallery from 13 May - 12 June 2022

The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum is pleased to present The Collected Object, which features assemblages by Joe B. Milosevich.
• An exclusive Member Preview will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday 13 May 2022.
• A Public Opening reception will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday 15 May 2022 with a 2 p.m. gallery talk.

Although his university art training is grounded in painting and drawing, the professional work of Joe Milosevich has evolved into found object sculpture, or what he prefers to reference as “collected object assemblage.” Since childhood, Milosevich has formally or informally collected objects that inspire him.

   As a child, he assembled collections of rocks, leaves, insects, bird feathers, army men, dinosaurs, coins, stamps, and models of various kinds including birds, knights, and monsters. Currently, Milosevich utilizes a diverse array of materials that have been collected primarily from antique stores, flea markets, and quilt shops. He collects constantly and has amassed several lifetimes of objects in his small basement studio. Milosevich is particularly partial to vintage objects and objects made of wood.

   Objects are glorious trophies, powerful icons, and magical talismans that allow Milosevich to investigate and communicate his existence. With these collected objects, he visually discusses such themes as innocence, love, memory, death religion, politics, and self identity. Within all of his assemblages, Milosevich embodies a sense of beauty, consummate craftsmanship, and content that is both autobiographically genuine in its origins and universally accessible in its images.

   Milosevich has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout his career. Some of these invitational and juried exhibitions were hosted by the following organizations: Black Hills State University (Spearfish, SD), Moraine Valley Community College (Palos Hills, IL), University of Minnesota (Morris, MN), Dickinson State University (Dickinson, ND), Mesa Arts Center (Mesa, AZ), 33 Contemporary (Chicago, IL), Rourke Art Gallery and Museum (Moorhead, MN), Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS), Union Street Gallery (Chicago Heights, IL), Regional Museum of Natural Science (Turin, Italy), Zhou B Art Center (Chicago, IL), ~Artscape 191 (Vienna, Austria), Tall Grass Arts Association (Park Forest, IL), Argonne National Laboratory (Lemont, IL), Institute of Culture of Baja California (Tijuana, Mexico), Governors State University (University Park, IL), University of St. Francis (Joliet, IL), Water Street Studios Gallery (Batavia, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), Beverly Arts Center (Chicago, IL), Illinois State Museum (Lockport and Springfield, IL), Joliet Junior College (Joliet, IL), Northern Illinois University (Dekalb, IL), Freeport Art Museum (Freeport, IL), and Salem Art Association (Salem, OR). Milosevich was a member of the former 33 Collective in Chicago and is a current member of the Water Street Studios Artist Collective in Batavia, Illinois and the Burnt District Artists of Joliet, Illinois. He maintains a very active year-round studio at his residence in Crest Hill, Illinois.

   As Professor of Art, Milosevich taught eight different studio art courses during his 38 year tenure at Joliet Junior College, where he was also the Gallery Director. As an art educator, he was the recipient of the Joliet Junior College Outstanding Full Time Teacher Award and the University of Texas National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Award. Upon retirement, Milosevich was inducted into the Susan H. Wood Hall of Fame at Joliet Junior College. Milosevich holds a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Eastern Illinois University at Charleston.