The Socrates Annual exhibition marks the culmination of the 2023 Socrates Annual Fellowship, which awarded six artists – selected through a competitive open-call application process – with funding, access to the Park’s outdoor studio, and the production support needed to realize ambitious public artworks. The central theme of this year’s exhibition revolves around transformation, echoing the Park’s evolution – from an abandoned landfill to a flourishing gathering space. These five projects reflect on diverse stages of growth, change, and renewal while also invoking a keen understanding of how visitors use this space, informed by the artists’ firsthand experience fabricating these works on-site over the summer. Many of these works are constructed with found and recycled materials that have been ingeniously repurposed, breathing new life into objects that were once discarded or considered undesirable. Collectively, these artists compel us to value the histories embedded in materials and the surrounding landscape. *Kate Rusek is the 2023 Devra Freelander Recipient

The Socrates Annual 2023 is organized by Socrates Sculpture Park and curated by Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas, Curator & Director of Exhibitions.