bio

Riley Fichter (b.1995) is an artist from the watershed of the Wisconsin River whose interests in the state of the Earth, the transitory nature of matter, and mythologies both ancient and contemporary guide his practice. He examines themes of post-humanism and cyclic natures through his sculptures and installation based work. In 2018 he received a B.F.A. in Sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in Stevens Point, WI. In 2024 he received a M.F.A. in Sculpture from the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, IN. Riley has also completed residencies at Josephine Sculpture as the Artist in Residence & Park Manager, Salem Art Works as the Foundry & Welding Studio Artist, Western North Carolina Sculpture Center as an Iron Light Resident, and Ilwaco Artworks as a Teaching Resident. Riley actively teaches workshops on welding, mold making, hot metal casting, and organic sculpture techniques, and has created numerous large-scale public sculptures across the USA. Riley currently maintains a practice in Detroit, MI where he also works as a technician and educator at the College for Creative Studies.

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Education

  • MFA Sculpture, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame IN (2024)

  • BFA Sculpture, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point WI (2018)

Residencies

  • Sou’wester Arts Teaching Resident, Ilwaco Artworks, Ilwaco WA (TBC 2025)

  • Iron Light Resident, Western North Carolina Sculpture Center, Lenoir NC (TBC 2025)

  • Foundry & Welding Studio Artist, Salem Art Works, Salem NY (2024)

  • Artist in Residence & Park Manager, Josephine Sculpture Park, Frankfort KY (2021)

Grants & Awards

  • CCS Professional Development Award, College for Creative Studies, Detroit MI (2025)

  • Zahm Professional Development Fund, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame IN (2024)

  • Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts Research Grant, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN (2023)

  • Graduate Student Research Award, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame IN (2023)

  • Creative Activity and Research Grant, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, WI (2018)

  • Genevieve Caflisch Memorial Scholarship, Baraboo WI (2017)

  • Pineries Bank Fine Art Student Scholarship, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point WI (2017)

  • Okray Visual Arts Scholarship, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point WI (2017)

  • Sentry Insurance Scholarship, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point WI (2016)

Public Artwork

  • level nine time stop, installed at Cary Hill Sculpture Park, Salem NY (2024)

  • fixation, installed at Josephine Sculpture Park, Frankfort KY (2021)

  • rii’joo’vah’nay’shin, installed at Josephine Sculpture Park, Frankfort KY (2019)

  • an end, formerly installed at Franconia Sculpture Park, Shafer MN (2018)

  • weight//agony, installed at Stevens Point Sculpture Park, Stevens Point WI (2016)

Selected Solo Exhibitions

  • Becoming-With (Final Fantasies), AAHD Gallery, Notre Dame IN (2024)

  • A Babel, Quarter Gallery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN (2019)

  • Emergence, Ford Hall, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti MI (2018)

  • Interplay, Eron Gallery, Stevens Point WI (2018)

Selected Group Exhibitions

  • Catharsis, SAW Gallery, Salem NY (2024)

  • Metamorphosis, Silvermine Gallery, New Canaan CT (2024)

  • Frequencies, Bond Hall, Notre Dame, IN (2023)

  • “Here,” St. Joseph County Library, South Bend IN (2023)