Juror Bio
Zimpel鈥檚 work constructs factual and imaginary entry points and rituals-they are the means to process, explore and understand things that are actually, or perceived as, inaccessible. A meaningful fishing experience, a trip to a natural wonder, a project built together in the garage shop behind the house. His practice is an attempt to attend to actual and desired familial bonds. It is location, object, or activity. A fire ring, a broken engine, a hug, the forced proximity between two men dictated by the hull of a 14鈥� fishing boat. It is recollection and recognition, an interpretation of traditions, fiction and history; an exploration of the terms of patrilineal relationships as he understands them.
Born in Saint Paul and raised in Minnesota, Zimpel moved to Chicago Illinois at age eighteen. He attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago for his undergraduate degree and eventually traveled to New York for a graduate degree from The Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts ( Bard College ). For approximately ten years, Zimpel taught courses at Columbia College Chicago and managed the Art + Design Department鈥檚 Fabrication Facilities. In 2013, he accepted a tenure track appointment at Montana State University in Bozeman MT.
Zimpel is currently the Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Architecture and an Associate Professor of Sculpture + Extended Media.
Education
MFA Bard College Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts | Sculpture
BFA University of Illinois at Chicago