Share Your Arts/Industry Story
ABOUT
Hundreds of artists have benefited from this celebrated artist residency since its beginning in 1974. Arts/Industry offers artists the time and space to focus on the creation of new work in studios located within the Pottery and Foundry at the Kohler Co. factory.
Artists need not have experience working with clay or metal, but an interest in adapting industrial processes to their practice and an openness to the factory environment is needed. Residents are exposed to a body of technical knowledge that enables and encourages them to explore new ways of thinking and working.
The Residency
Artists have the opportunity to spend three months creating works of art utilizing the company’s industrial materials and equipment. Artists-in-residence are exposed to a body of technical knowledge that enables them to explore forms and concepts not possible in their own studios. This emboldens artists to think and work in inventive ways.
The Arts/Industry residency program supports twelve artists annually, with four in residence at a time. There are three, three-month cohorts over the year. In each cohort, two residents work in the Kohler Co. Pottery and two in the Foundry to develop a wide variety of work in ceramic, cast iron, and brass.
Artists-in-residence have access to studio space in the factory twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. In addition, they receive free industrial materials, use of equipment, technical support, photographic services, housing, round-trip transportation, and a weekly honorarium.
Current Artists-In-Residence
The artists-in-residence participating in the Arts/Industry program hosted at Kohler Co. in the Pottery and Foundry have gone through a very competitive juried application process. Each year, up to twelve artists open to new ideas get to take advantage of the resources, technology, and materials of Kohler Co., to explore new ideas, processes, and perspectives for a three month residency. Many artists come to the program with no experience in the material they will be working with and are asked to come with an open mind and eagerness to learn and work.
Where to See the Art around Sheboygan County
During the past 50 years, the Arts/Industry residency program has hosted more than 500 artists from 26 countries in the Kohler Pottery and Foundry. In celebration of the anniversary, a selection of artwork contributed to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and Kohler Co. art collections by resident artists will be displayed in the community throughout 2024. Visitors can view these works in a variety of locations around Sheboygan County. Admission is always free.
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
Galleries, Washrooms, and Grounds
Exhibitions throughout seven galleries share the story of how Arts/Industry began as an experiment and has continued to thrive. Exhibitions include works by alumni and current artist residents and feature hands-on art-making opportunities to engage visitors of all ages.
Award-winning washrooms at JMKAC and the Art Preserve feature tile, plumbing ware, and other decorative elements created by Arts/Industry artists. Internationally recognized, the washrooms are open to the general public.
The Village of Kohler
Arts/Industry 50th Collective Exhibition and Walking Tour
The Arts/Industry 50th Collective Exhibition provides a distinct opportunity to engage in the imagination of artists and their curious exploration of industrial processes. Open now through November 2024.
The Kohler Walking Tour showcases select pieces drawn from the Kohler Art Collection. The walk winds through grounds of The American Club and the Shops at Woodlake for visitors to explore.
Arts/Industry is a unique collaboration between the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and Kohler Co. This residency program is administered by the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and generously hosted and funded by Kohler Co. Additional support for the 50th Anniversary of Arts/Industry is provided by the Mellon Foundation.
