John Michael Kohler Arts Center Inc

Education:the arts center provided participatory field trips to 3,275 children. In 2024, the arts center provided participatory field trips to 3,275 children. During the first quarter of 2024, the social studio was activated by 850 individuals who tried their hands at various processes inspired by the exhibitions. The social studio space was re-imagined and relocated to the workplace exhibition with residencies noted above for the remainder of 2024, where 14,270 visitors explored, experimented, or collaborated with visiting artists.youth art month focused on 250 students throughout the county. The arts center's arts-based preschool reached 180 students over 2024; an average of 45 students daily. Art club, in which the arts center partners with rcs participants, served 25 people a month; spark! Reached 30 people a month. Five workshops dedicated to intergenerational dialogue in the hmong community served 150 people (25 at each). Twenty people attended a coin-stitching workshop hosted by ger xiong. A creative engagement workshop for teens was held twice in 2024, serving 12 teens total. The open call exhibition knock first displayed works by 50 local and regional artists, and three youth camps served 60 children total.

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 2024, the arts center welcomed 12 artists (3 cohorts of 4, staying for 3 months each), as well as celebrated the 50th anniversary of the residency with a series of exhibitions, programs, and events.

Performing arts: february 2024 welcomed the residency and performance of ashwini ramaswamy's invisible cities. This was a continuation of ramaswamy's creation residency at jmkac in 2022. Featuring ten dancers this reimagining of italo calvino's metaphysical novel interweaves cultural perspectives through a dynamic group of lead artists who work in different movement stylesashwini ramaswamy with ranee ramaswamy and aparna ramaswamy (bharatanatyam), berit ahlgren (gaga), alanna morris (modern/afro diasporic), joseph tran (breaking)and visual artist kevork mourad. Invisible cities is a generative pilgrimage that expresses ramaswamy's lifelong desire to coalesce her specific artistic and cultural aesthetic as a bharatanatyam artist with the dynamic universe of other embodied traditions and communities. Dancers visited etude high school for workshops with middle and high school students during their residency.once again, the arts center hosted the levitt amp sheboygan music series during the summer featuring 10 concerts with attendance overall at 8,425 people. Openers and headliners complemented each other through a diversity of genres and styles in a live third space on the city green. Additionally, the studio tent connected artists and community groups to collaborate on art projects with the public. Many moments continued beyond the concerts. Additionally, with one of the bands, we offered pre-concert residencies at lakeland music camp for 20 youth, and for two of the bands we offered workshops at the arts center and art preserve for 50 youth and adults. These experiences created community kinship through art and music.in november, the arts center hosted brkfst dance company for a residency leading up to their wisconsin premiere of stormclutter, with composition by brkfst member rene copeland, followed by a restaging of dancers, dreamers and presidents by composer daniel bernard roumain. 113 audience members were in attendance to experience an exploration of relationships and our ongoing efforts to resolve opposing states of interpersonal tension (stormclutter) and a commentary on american life that is filled with a mix of ambition, passion, blame, justice, hope and love (dancers, dreamers and presidents). Brkfst utilizes breaking, abstraction and contemporary dance to create works that are both intellectually stimulating and physically rigorous. During their residency, brkfst presented a series of breaking workshops to 30 middle and high school students.throughout the month of december, the arts center highlighted the intersections of tech, storytelling, performance, and dance while hosting a two-phase performance residency for obie-award winning artist andrew schneider. The residency began with schneider's installation and interactive performance piece, n o w i s w h e n w e a r e (the stars), which was experienced by 500 people at its opening during the arts center's winter social and 432 additional audience members during its subsequent sold out "open universe and "guided universe" performances. After we said farewell to n o w i s w h e n w e a r e (the stars), the arts center hosted schneider and two dancers for a creation residency of his latest hybrid dance-theatre work.we continued the indie lens pop up (documentary film series by pbs) with 2 screenings for each film both facilitated with community conversations, the senior honor recital in which high school seniors audition to perform a 20-minute set at the recital hosted early may, and get the gig (a battle of the bands event in which musicians gain an opportunity to open for a levitt amp concert). We also premiered our wayside days festival, which featured live performances inside the art preserve, including an intimate filmed performance by sunny jain's wild wild east (new york) alongside the artworks of nek chand.

Connecting arts the theme of 2024 was work in progress: celebrating 50 years of arts/industry in which exhibitions and programming showcased the experience of the arts/industry residency and the value of collaboration and experimentation. Programming offered collaborative opportunities to engage with artists through workshops and demonstrations looking at other areas of creative production.four workplace residencies with former arts/industry artists-in-residence brought artists to the arts center for a creative exchange with the community. In the spring, andrea lekberg was in residence twice, both times working with school groups and community members to create baked goods out of materials such as plaster, papier mch, fabric, paint, or cardboard, drawing a comparison between bakery and factory production. Justin favela was in-residence during the summer, collaborating with community members on a large-scale nacho installation using his signature pinata-inspired building style. In early autumn, martha poggioli explored the connections between medicine and industry, leading community members in drawing projects inspired by medical devices and our smallest cells. Finally, in winter risa puno and arlo howard created an interactive game investigating failure, inspired by puno's frequent failures during her arts/industry residency.

Special events 2024: throughout the year, the arts center hosts special events and programs. In 2024, the following events were held:march 15-16: work in progress: celebrating 50 years of arts/industry preview party and community celebration: evening exhibition opening reception followed by daytime family focused opening celebration with hands-on art making, demonstrations, and light refreshments. Preview party attendance:165. Community day attendance: 300.july 20-21: 54th midsummer festival of the arts: this weekend featured over 100 juried artists selling an array of mediums, free hands-on art making activities, live music and performances, demonstrations, food, and fun. Five emerging artists were featured to offer an opportunity for collegiate and rising artists to learn about business in the arts. Attendance: 10,000.aug 15-aug 17: wayside days: weekend of community events inspired by the tradition of wisconsin waysides. Set at the art preserve, the inaugural wayside days was designed with live performances, guided tours, art making activities, an open house at the james tellen woodland sculpture garden, and a donor appreciation reception. Due to severe weather this event was largely canceled. We were able to continue indoors with limited tours, art-making activities and donor reception. Donor appreciation event attendance: 60. Public attendance: 150.sat oct 26: arts/industry community day: celebration of arts/industry residency's 50th anniversary featuring activities for all ages hosted by arts/industry alumni, including gallery talks, a live iron pour, a family fiesta; as well as demonstrations and hands-on art making. Attendance: 750december 8: winter social: member social event with cookies and cocoa that featured art-making workshops, and a preview of immersive art piece now is when we are (the stars). Attendance: 500