JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER INC

Programs

1. Visual arts: the john michael kohler arts center staff annually originates 10-15 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 an annual theme, thus creating multiple entry points and a ripple effect of understanding and engagement for our audiences. The programming theme for 2024 was "work in progress," celebrating the 50 the anniversary of the arts/industry program. Through all our 2024 projects, we brought this nationally acclaimed artist-residency program to the forefront, inviting visitors to explore, experience, and reflect on the interconnections between art and industry. The arts center staged several group and solo installations featuring arts/industry alumni alongside the innovative presentation of 'workplace" (march 9, 2024 january 19, 2025). This immersive, interactive re-creation of the factory floor blossomed into a vibrant hub where 5 artists and 16,146 visitors of all ages and abilities collaborated on projects throughout the year. Other exhibitions…

   $3,538,738 spentof which $3,700 as grants$46 earned by the program
   58% of program spending

2. 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…

   $912,210 spent$256,042 earned by the program
   15% of program spending

3. 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.

   $665,662 spent$111,833 earned by the program
   11% of program spending

4. 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…

   $658,241 spent
   11% of program spending

5. 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…

   $274,203 spent
   4% of program spending

6. 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…

   $79,090 spent
   1% of program spending

The 6 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $6,128,144.