Artist, Writer, Curator. Wunderkammer Company Founder and lover of all things.

Dan Swartz is a maker of things, and the founder and curator of Wunderkammer Company. After an internship with a local gallery in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 2005, Swartz was inspired to create a unique space to nurture and house creative programming. Wunderkammer Company was designed to give Midwestern audiences a direct tie to the contemporary culture being produced locally (often times underground), while also giving local and regional creatives access to a more global contemporary dialogue.

This did not happen for a really long time... and is really just starting to happen. Building culture takes a lot of effort, time, and more than a little blood/tear/frustration, etc.  Over the last 10 years, Swartz has studied development theory, put theory to practice, met people, worked, and cursed a lot all in an attempt to craft Wunderkammer Company into this place. 

Prior to this, he moved from Fort Wayne to New York City and worked for artists, curatorial collectives and artist publications, galleries, contemporary art centers, collectors and auction houses. That time exploring the many avenues of the art world has aided Swartz's ability to forecast trends, and advise others about the art world from a macro level.  Eventually, he began curating exhibitions and writing about art more than making art objects.  Swartz's work became more about the construction of communities grounded deeply in social aesthetics. This eventually allowed him to move back to his home town in Fort Wayne to build Wunderkammer Company. While in the Midwest, Swartz worked for Fort Wayne's Downtown Improvement District and Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne as Cultural District Liaison.  Taking on project work often, Swartz has had the opportunity to curate public works for ArtPrize in Grand Rapids (2010), and participate in a curatorial residency in Beijing, PRC (2011).

Now, Swartz can usually be found with paint splatters on his shoes and clothes, either wandering from meeting to meeting in downtown Fort Wayne, or anxiously running through our galleries prepping for an exhibition, show, lecture, or whatever else we are up to.  

Hit Dan up:  Contact Page