John Hock Email & Phone Number

John Hock is a Founder/Director at https://ne-sculpture.org/ based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, North America. John Hock is a prominent figure in the Minnesota art community, particularly known for his impactful work in sculpture and community engagement. Of the three arts organizations he founded the most recent is NE SCULPTURE I Gallery Factory (NES), started in 2018, in Northeast Minneapolis, a non-profit dedicated to supporting artists and enhancing the community through public art and exhibitions. Under his leadership, NES has managed an annual budget of $350,000, funded through earned income, grants and private donations. In July 2020, Hock launched the Social Justice Billboard Project in George Floyd Square, MPLS, which offers BIPOC artists a platform to create impactful work in response to police brutality. This initiative arose in the wake of George Floyd's murder, inspired by the installation of Peyton Scott Russell's mural, Icon of a Revolution, at the same site. The project emphasizes the importance of large-scale public art in addressing social issues. Hock also serves as the chief curator for the City of St. Paul’s Western Sculpture Park, where he played the inspiring & key role in transforming a neglected, in 1996, park into a vibrant public space into a community sculpture park. One of Hock's philosophies is that artists & their work can change perceptions and positively influence communities. Before NES & Western Sculpture Park, Hock was the founding director, then CEO/Artistic Director, of Franconia Sculpture Park from 1995 to 2018, where he nurtured over 1,300 artists and developed extensive educational programs with a yearly 770K budget. His experience includes managing substantial budgets and capital campaigns, alongside his creative work as a mentor & sculptor. Hock’s sculptures are featured in various public collections across the U.S. and England, and he has received numerous awards for his contributions to the arts. Including awards from the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, McKnight Individual Artists Grant, Athena Foundation, and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Award & recently bestowed by the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District the 2023 Vision Award.