JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER INC
JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER INC
JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER INC
Programs
Considering Kin Arts Programming
OVERALL, THE 2023 PROGRAMMING FOCUSED ON THE ARTS CENTER THEME "CONSIDERING KIN," IN WHICH WE LOOK AT KINSHIP AS AN INTENTIONAL PROCESS, A MINDFUL ACT OF NURTURING FEELINGS OF BELONGING AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE WORLD. A BIG MOMENT REFLECTING THIS WAS THE ARTS CENTER'S GALA, IN WHICH WAS OVERALL A COMMUNITY ARTS-BASED PROJECT, PART PERFORMANCE, PART COSTUME PARTY, AND ALL ABOUT ACTIVATING KINSHIP TO LIFT EACH OTHER UP. THE GREAT GALA RUNWAY PROJECT FEATURED A PARTNERSHIP WITH RCS EMPOWERS, INC. (RCS), AN ORGANIZATION IN SHEBOYGAN THAT WORKS TO EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. THROUGHOUT THE FIRST 5 MONTHS OF 2023, ARTS CENTER PROGRAMMING ENGAGED WITH VISITING ARTISTS, RCS PARTICIPANTS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN A WORKSHOP STUDIO SPACE TO CREATE FASHION PIECES WORN BY RCS PARTICIPANTS AT THE SHOW. BETWEEN THE WORKSHOPS AND EVENT, HUNDREDS OF PARTICIPANTS WERE REACHED.ALSO, THE ARTS CENTER HOSTED ITS MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS REACHING ABOUT 13,000 PEOPLE OVER THE THIRD WEEKEND IN JULY. ADDITIONALLY, THE CHAIR CITY EVENT REACHED ABOUT 200 VISITORS. VISUAL ARTS: THE JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER STAFF ANNUALLY ORIGINATES 15-20 CURATED EXHIBITIONS THAT EMPHASIZE INSTALLATION WORKS, NEW GENRES, CRAFT-RELATED FORMS, COMMUNALLY TRANSMITTED TRADITIONS, AND THE WORK OF SELF-TAUGHT ARTISTS. TO ENHANCE THE IMPACT OF THIS WORK, EXHIBITIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS ARE ALWAYS DEVELOPED AROUND ANNUAL THEMES, THUS CREATING MULTIPLE ENTRY POINTS AND A RIPPLE EFFECT OF UNDERSTANDING AND ENGAGEMENT FOR OUR AUDIENCES. THE THEME FOR 2023 WAS "CONSIDERING KIN," IN WHICH SEVERAL EXHIBITIONS EXPLORED HOW WE ARE IN KINSHIP WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH THE NATURAL WORLD. SELECTED EXHIBITIONS INCLUDE: "SHARING THE SAME BREATH." THE EXHIBITION BRINGS TOGETHER NINE ARTISTS WHO CONSIDER THE WORLD'S COMPLEX WEB OF RELATIONS THROUGH ARTWORKS THAT EMPHASIZE HUMAN, NONHUMAN, AND INTERSPECIES FORMS OF KINSHIP AND CONNECTIVITY. THESE RELATIONSHIPS ARE EXPLORED THROUGH A WIDE RANGE OF MEDIA INCLUDING SCULPTURE, PHOTOGRAPHY, DRAWING, VIDEO, FILM, AND INSTALLATION. "CERTAIN ALIENS." IN A NEWLY COMMISSIONED MULTIMEDIA INSTALLATION, ARTIST SUNNY LEERASANTHANAH USED INVASIVE SPECIES AS A LENS TO LOOK AT HUMAN IMMIGRATION AND XENOPHOBIA IN THE UNITED STATES.CLOTH AS LAND: HMONG INDIGENEITY." HMONG INDIGENEITY LIVES IN TEXTILES: VIBRANT, BREATHING PIECES OF CLOTH SHAPED BY HMONG HANDS TO ILLUSTRATE ANCESTRAL LANDMARKS AND HOMELANDS. THIS EXHIBITION BROUGHT THE WORK OF THREE CONTEMPORARY HMONG-AMERICAN ARTISTS TOGETHER WITH TRADITIONAL HMONG TEXTILES. THROUGH EACH ARTIST'S INDIVIDUAL PERSPECTIVE, HMONG AESTHETICS BECOME REIMAGINED, DISRUPTING TRADITIONAL EXPECTATIONS AND UNCOVERING NEW SITES FOR HMONG INDIGENEITY TO BE CLAIMED.ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE: ANOTHER POWERFUL MANIFESTATION OF THE CONSIDERING KIN THEME WERE THREE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECTS PRESENTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE EXHIBITION, "CLOTH AS LAND: HMONG INDIGENEITY." TSHAB HER (ONE OF THE COMMISSIONED ARTISTS IN CLOTH AS LAND), WORKED IN THE MAIN GALLERY WITH VISITORS TO CREATE BEADED TASSELS USED TO ADORN CLOTHING. SPOKEN WORD ARTIST TOU SAIKO LEE LED AN INTERGENERATIONAL STORYTELLING PROJECT. KA OSKAR LY INTRODUCED THE COMMUNITY TO MOOB BATIK, A TRADITIONAL HMONG TEXTILE PROCESS. 520 PARTICIPANT ACROSS THE THREE RESIDENCIES. THE ART PRESERVE: THE ARTS CENTER IS WORLD-RENOWNED FOR ITS COLLECTION OF OVER 25,000 WORKS WITHIN THE GENRE KNOWN AS ARTIST-BUILT ENVIRONMENTS, HOUSED AT THE ART PRESERVE, A FACILITY THAT OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN 2021. THESE EXCEPTIONAL AND MULTIFACETED WORKS OF ART RESULT FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO SIGNIFICANTLY TRANSFORM THEIR SURROUNDINGS OVER TIME WITH READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS. THE ARTS CENTER IS A LEADER IN PRESERVATION AND PRESENTATION OF SUCH ENVIRONMENTS, WHETHER THE WORK IS IN SITU OR MAINTAINED WITHIN INSTITUTIONAL COLLECTIONS. THE ART PRESERVE PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPLORATION, STEWARDSHIP, AND STORYTELLING. WE HAVE BEGUN TO INTENTIONALLY CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESPONSES TOAND INTERACTION WITHTHE COLLECTION AND THE GROUNDS SURROUNDING THE ART PRESERVE. "REGIONAL RESPONSES TO THE ART PRESERVE." THE ARTS CENTER INVITED WISCONSIN-BASED ARTISTS AND ARTS CENTER MEMBERS TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS FOR WORK IN ANY MEDIUM THAT MADE TANGIBLE THE FEELINGS OF WONDER, CURIOSITY, AND EXPLORATION AWAKENED BY THE COLLECTION OF ARTIST-BUILT ENVIRONMENTS ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE ART PRESERVE."COUNTERCULTURE." SEVEN CAST-CONCRETE FIGURES FROM ROSE B. SIMPSON'S MONUMENTAL WORK WERE INSTALLED ON THE GROUNDS OF THE ART PRESERVE AS PART OF THE "CONSIDERING KIN" THEME. THE LARGE-SCALE SCULPTURES STAND IN THE PRAIRIE TO THE EAST OF THE ART PRESERVE AS WITNESSESREMINDERS THAT THE NATURAL WORLD IS CONTINUOUSLY WATCHING HUMANITY.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2023 – Dec 31, 2023Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$5.2MArts Education Programs
EDUCATION:IN 2023, THE ARTS CENTER PROVIDED PARTICIPATORY FIELD TRIPS TO 3,500 CHILDREN. THE SOCIAL STUDIO WAS ACTIVATED BY 6,000 INDIVIDUALS WHO LEARNED AND TRIED THEIR HANDS AT VARIOUS PROCESSES INSPIRED BY THE EXHIBITIONS. ART CLUB, IN WHICH THE ARTS CENTER PARTNERS WITH RCS PARTICIPANTS, SERVED 25 PEOPLE A MONTH; SPARK! REACHED 30 PEOPLE A MONTH. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE 7 CAMPS AND CLASSES OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR REACHING 140 PARTICIPANTS. YOUTH ART MONTH FOCUSED ON 250 STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. THE ARTS CENTER'S ARTS-BASED PRESCHOOL REACHED 180 STUDENTS OVER 2023; AN AVERAGE OF 45 STUDENTS DAILY.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2023 – Dec 31, 2023Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$1.3MArts/Industry Artist Residencies
ARTS/INDUSTRY: THE ARTS CENTER HOSTS NUMEROUS ARTIST RESIDENCIES INCLUDING A SPECIAL PARTNERSHIP WITH KOHLER COMPANY THAT BEGAN IN 1974 CALLED ARTS/INDUSTRY. THIS HIGHLY COMPETITIVE PROGRAM GIVES ARTISTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN THE INDUSTRIAL FOUNDRY AND POTTERY AND TO USE THE TOOLS AND PROCESSES TO CREATE NEW WORK. IN 2023, THE ARTS CENTER WELCOMED 12 ARTISTS (3 COHORTS OF 4, STAYING FOR 3 MONTHS EACH.)GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2023 – Dec 31, 2023Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$1M
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