Feature image: Lonnie Holley. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: David Raccuglia.
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The John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) will host multidisciplinary artist, musician, and storyteller Lonnie Holley for a two-week performance residency from October 21–November 1, 2025. The residency will culminate in a one-of-a-kind, evening-length musical performance on Thursday, October 30, followed by a community celebration on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1950, Holley’s life has been defined by both adversity and resilience. Raised in the segregated Jim Crow South, he faced a traumatic childhood but found solace in his artistic expression. Known for his ability to “turn nothing into something,” as referenced in his 2025 album Tonky, Holley’s work merges music, visual art, and social engagement. His practice is grounded in an active awe of the world, which he shares with others through his art and collaborations.
As part of his residency, Holley began his engagement with Sheboygan in June 2025, conducting a site visit to connect with local community organizations and explore the region’s culture, landscape, and industries. Holley met with various groups, including Scott and Kathleen LaBonte, founders of Pay It Forward Sheboygan, the Sheboygan Area School District, Lakeshore Community Health Care, the Boys and Girls Club of Sheboygan, and Consumer Credit Counseling Services. These meetings focused on fostering reciprocal relationships and exploring how art can contribute to community growth and cohesion. Lighthouse Recovery Community Center also joined as a community partner to engage during Holley’s residency.
During this visit, Holley also immersed himself in the natural beauty of the area, including Sheboygan’s waterways and landscapes, and took time to learn about the Indigenous cultures that have shaped the region.
When Holley returns to Sheboygan this month, he will lead a series of gatherings that include nature walks, art-making sessions, shared meals, and community conversations. Working with natural and human-made materials collected by youth collaborators, Holley will develop new visual and musical works that reflect his ongoing connection with the community.
On Thursday, October 30, Holley will be joined by Mourning [A] BLKstar, a multigenerational, gender- and genre-nonconforming collective rooted in Black culture and based in Cleveland, OH, for a special musical performance at the Arts Center, showcasing new creations inspired by the residency. This one-time-only performance will highlight Holley’s unique fusion of music, visual art, and storytelling.
In addition, a community celebration on Saturday, November 1, will bring together youth and local organizations for an afternoon of art, conversation, and shared experiences. This celebration will also coincide with JMKAC’s Teacher Recharge event, offering educators an opportunity to engage with Holley’s work in an inspiring environment.
For more information on Lonnie Holley’s residency and related events, visit jmkac.org.
About Lonnie Holley
Lonnie Holley (b. Birmingham, AL, 1950) is a multidisciplinary visual artist and improvisational musician whose work explores themes of personal and collective history, racial inequality, environmental catastrophe, and American identity. Born into the harsh reality of Jim Crow-era Alabama, Holley’s early life was defined by transience, cruelty, and economic hardship. Separated from his family as a young boy, Holley spent three years at the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children, a brutal state institution that has been called a modern-day slave plantation. Growing up impoverished, Holley made do with what he could find, often the broken and discarded objects of human consumption—materials he refers to as “trash, garbage, and debris.” His ability to combine these objects into beautiful and socially resonant works of art made Holley a leading figure in the long-overlooked movement of Black Southern visual artists. Holley’s work has been exhibited internationally and can be found in major museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Gallery of Art, and many others
About the John Michael Kohler Arts Center
Founded in 1967, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) is a nonprofit creative hub that supports the work of contemporary artists through original exhibitions, commissions, residencies, publications, and community programming across visual and performing arts. The only institution in the world that collects artist-built and artist home-based environments, JMKAC is a leading center for the research, preservation, and presentation of artists with wide-ranging practices and backgrounds from academically trained to self-taught and folk traditions, championing long-term relationships with artists and elevating work that has often been overlooked or under-recognized. JMKAC is a vital cultural resource that responds to the needs of its local and regional communities, preserving artistic heritage by uplifting contemporary voices and empowering future generations.
Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Thursday: 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Locations
John Michael Kohler Arts Center: 608 New York Avenue, Sheboygan, WI 53081
Contact
Emily Shedal, Communications Specialist, JMKAC
EShedal@jmkac.org