SculptureWalk: Sculpture Talks
SculptureWalk Sioux Falls is partnering with The Watering Can to present a new series of artist talks featuring visual artists from across the country.
The first event will take place Sunday, May 3 from 2 to 3 p.m. in the MarketBeat Theater at Startup Sioux Falls. The conversation will feature artists Luke Achterberg (La Crosse, Wisconsin), Nathan Johansen (Provo, Utah) and Sunghee Min (Roseville, Minnesota).
Together, they will share insight into their creative processes, sources of inspiration and the role public art plays in shaping communities.
About Luke Achterberg:
Luke Achterberg’s work draws from the subcultures of Americana, including automotive customizing, graffiti, comics, skateboarding and street art. These influences are rooted in highly developed technical skills often cultivated outside of traditional academic settings.
His sculptures challenge the standardization of mass production, exploring both physical and visual balance to achieve a refined, sleek aesthetic.
Achterberg earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and a welding technical diploma from Western Technical College. After working as a certified welder, he completed his Master of Fine Arts at the University of Kentucky. His work has received recognition from organizations including the International Sculpture Center and Art-St-Urban in Switzerland. He currently lives and works in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
About Nathan Johansen:
Nathan Johansen’s work is deeply inspired by the natural world. Drawing from plants, seeds and their stages of development, his sculptures reflect recurring patterns and cycles found across all life.
His work often explores the interconnected relationships between plants, animals and humanity, capturing both the beauty and symbolism found in nature.
A lifelong Utah resident, Johansen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art from Brigham Young University. He spent more than 36 years in fine art casting, including his role coordinating operations at Metal Arts Foundry in Lehi, Utah. He now works full time through Johansen Studios, focusing on his own sculptural practice.
About Sunghee Min:
Sunghee Min is a public artist based in Roseville, Minnesota. Originally from rural South Korea, she studied sculpture and installation art at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco before relocating to the Midwest in 2016.
Working primarily with metal, Min creates large-scale public sculptures using geometric forms such as triangles and squares. Her work explores the relationship between structure, nature and community, using simple forms to create shared meaning in public spaces.
Her sculptures have been featured in exhibitions across the Midwest, including Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Illinois. She has received multiple awards and grants, including support from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council and the Minnesota State Arts Board.
Min’s public commissions include installations for the City of Madison, Wisconsin, the City of Rochester, Minnesota and the Silverwood Park Sculpture Trail in Saint Anthony, Minnesota. Her work continues to explore connection, simplicity and the power of form to invite reflection and dialogue in shared spaces.
