About Nicole Gruter

Nicole Gruter was born in 1971 to Dutch immigrants in Mankato, Minnesota. She studied theatre, performance art and women’s studies in Madison, Wisconsin, graduating with her B.A. in 1994 and her MFA in 2009. In the decade following, Gruter pursued performance art, musical performance and the glories of rock and roll by presenting work guerilla style, in traditional spaces, and in alternative establishments, all the while working as bartender and promoter in rock clubs. Today, her work consists primarily of live performance, music, video, sound recordings, and installation.

Performing in unexpected and varying environments, Gruter’s work often relies upon interactive exchanges with the public, either through the act of handouts, food consumption, gathering of information, or the exchanging of stories, often combining humor with political and personal issues. Her varied subject matters range from political satire and family immigration to hoarding, operatic arias, and Dutch butter cake. Additionally, her stage act and persona “Wilhelmina Baker” concentrates on manipulating established genres of music and theatre, changing the execution of a formal piece of work through modern commentary and the reinvention of traditional formats. She resides in Madison, WI.