Poor Farm: Rich in Possibilities

Written by Rachel Hausmann Schall

In Wisconsin, there’s no shortage of spectacular countryside views that residents and visitors can enjoy year-round. Unlike the hustle and bustle of big cities filled with high-rise buildings, public transportation, and dense populations, smaller communities in Wisconsin are instead characterized by diverse wildlife, rolling hills, moraines, marshes, lakes, farm fields, county highways, and sometimes spotty cellular service. Rural spaces like these are not lacking in artistic or creative activity, however. In fact, these communities can be home to experimental contemporary art projects, like the Poor Farm located in Manawa, Wisconsin.

Founded in 2008 by artists and husband-wife duo Michelle Grabner and Brad Killam, Poor Farm is an experimental not-for-profit exhibition and residency space in central Wisconsin. The couple also runs The Suburban, a gallery that began in Oak Park, Illinois in 1999 and later moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2015. For Michelle, who grew up in the Fox Valley area of Wisconsin, being surrounded by farm fields and the trademarks of rural culture doesn’t feel out of place.

But, what might feel out of the norm to some Waupaca County locals is the presence of contemporary artwork in this aging building. What was once the Waupaca County Poor Farm is now a contemporary art space that hosts year-long exhibitions with international artists, classes, and residencies amongst the original 1876 structure and grounds.

American “poorhouses” also known as “workhouses” or “poor farms,” were government-run facilities that provided support and shelter for the poor and destitute in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The tenants of these spaces acted as laborers in exchange for housing and food, but accommodations were minimal. Duties included tending to the land and animals, housekeeping, and caring for other residents. At the time, poorhouses were generally accepted as an alternative solution to incarceration or institutionalization. Poor farms were equipped with on-site cemeteries where residents would be buried after passing. By the 1950s, nearly all of the remaining poor farms in the United States ceased operation and were replaced by social welfare programs. Despite being no longer inhabited, these buildings and properties remained until their new purpose was discovered – just like the Waupaca County Poor Farm in Manawa.

Within the walls of Poor Farm are multiple exhibition spaces equipped with technology for video and sound installations, space for sculpture and performance, and walls for display intertwined with the character and feel of this historic property. The first floor generally acts as a main exhibition space, with satellite galleries in the old bedrooms upstairs. Resident artists will stay for a week or two in the back of the building, which doubles as a dormitory with simple accommodations. Here, they can take time to focus on their work in the peace and quiet of rural central Wisconsin. With mostly year-long exhibitions, Grabner and Killam host an annual opening celebration in the summer, but individuals are welcome to stop at other times of the year by scheduling a visit. Peeling paint, creaky stairs, wooden floors, cream city brick, and a fieldstone basement coupled with the narratives and the origin of the space make any visit to Poor Farm a memorable one.

From 2022-2023, Poor Farm hosted Model Home (Part One) After Wisconsin Death Trip, an exhibition that incorporated material from Michael Lesy’s 1973 book Wisconsin Death Trip, which recounted the harsh life and conditions during the 19th Century in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. The book contains images taken by Wisconsin photographer Charles Van Schaick, accompanied by local newspaper stories that describe tales of crime, death, mental illness, and economic misfortune. The exhibition presented Schaick’s photographs and written accounts from local newspaper articles as well as work from contemporary artists exploring similar themes. Holistically, the collection of work parallels many challenging contemporary topics that artists continue to highlight and explore today. There’s a dark and mysterious aura about a show centralizing morbidity from the same time period that Poor Farm would have been operational in its original capacity. Experiencing the space and this exhibition, in particular, feels somewhat haunting as if the walls of the building are holding onto the memories and stories of previous tenants like a time capsule, with the artwork acting as a channel of communication between the past and present.

It’s with exhibitions like these that Poor Farm remains part of an international contemporary art conversation. Artists like Grabner and Killam give rural communities like Manawa an array of possibilities and experiences with their passion and dedication to the field of visual art. Grabner says, “My husband and I started Poor Farm because we believe in art, artists, and experimentation . . . We decided to leave it raw so that artists can see potential.” In the future, during a drive up north on an empty county highway, take a moment to observe the surrounding properties and think about the least likely place you might encounter contemporary art. Feel surprised that more spaces like Poor Farm exist in other rural communities across the Midwest, which are rich in artistic possibilities.

Visit poorfarmexperiment.org to learn more.