25Feature image: Lenka Clayton and Phillip Andrew Lewis: Rock Fade (≈ 45 Billion Years) installation view, 2026.
Submitted
Sheboygan, WI — The John Michael Kohler Arts Center invites artists to submit proposals for 2.7 Miles of Imagination: A Rock’s Walk, an open call exploring the creative and conceptual possibilities of transporting a rock—of any size—from the John Michael Kohler Arts Center to the Art Preserve, a journey of 2.7 miles.
What would it take to carry a rock across this distance? From the purely practical to the wildly imaginative, artists are encouraged to envision vessels, vehicles, contraptions, rituals, or experiences that make such a journey possible. Proposals may be functional, symbolic, humorous, poetic, or speculative—ranging from hand- built carts and mechanical systems to performances, processions, or even imagined acts of magic.
Selected works will be featured in an exhibition at the Arts Center from June 13 through September 20, 2026, and artists may also be invited to take part in the actual rock procession on Saturday, September 19, 2026. Artists should indicate in the submission form if they are interested in participating in the rock procession, as spaces will be subject to availability.
This call for entries is inspired by Rock Fade (≈ 45 Billion Years), a large-scale installation by Lenka Clayton and Phillip Andrew Lewis, which will be relocated to the Art Preserve in September. The work presents a precisely ordered line of stones, gradually diminishing in size from a massive boulder to a single grain of sand. Through this simple yet profound gesture, the artists invite reflection on deep geological time, human perception, and the tension between order and natural processes of erosion and transformation.
In response, 2.7 Miles of Imagination: A Rock’s Walk shifts the focus from stillness to movement—considering not only the presence of the rock, but the effort, care, and creativity required to carry it across a distance.
Submission Guidelines
Artists may submit one proposal in a format of their choosing, including drawings, maquettes, videos, narratives, or technical proposals. All submissions must include a brief written justification (250 words or fewer) and a visual representation of the idea. The rock must be clearly visible in the design.
Key Dates
- Entry deadline: Friday, May 1, 2026
- Artist notification: Friday, May 8, 2026
- Work due: Tuesday, May 26, 2026
- Exhibition on view: June 13–September 20, 2026
For more information and to submit a proposal, visit jmkac.org.
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.
About the Art Preserve
Opened in 2021, the Art Preserve is the world’s only collection space dedicated to art environments. Located a short drive from the Arts Center on 38 acres of land, the 56,000-square-foot, three-story building gives visitors unprecedented access and insight into the preservation, conservation, and interpretation of artist-built and artist home-based environments through tableaux and curated, visible storage. JMKAC’s permanent collection, comprising over 38,000 works, includes complete and partial environments created by more than 30 artists, housed at the Art Preserve. Highlights of JMKAC’s collection include the largest institutional collections of Dr. Charles Smith and Eugene Von Bruenchenhein; the expansive home collections of Chicago Imagists Ray Yoshida, Roger Brown, and Barbara Rossi; Emery Blagdon’s “Healing Machine” art environment, housed in a reconstruction of its original shed; and a diverse collection of 20th- and 21st-century artworks and artifacts from China to Laos, Thailand, and the U.S. that reflect the diasporic experiences of HMong, Miao, and other cultural groups represented in JMKAC’s local community. In addition to those at the Art Preserve, JMKAC serves as site steward to several art environments, including Mary Nohl’s lakefront home in Fox Point, Wisconsin, where the artist transformed every aspect of the property into a comprehensive work of art.
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
Art Preserve: 3636 Lower Falls Rd, Sheboygan, WI
Contact
Emily Shedal, Communications Specialist, JMKAC
EShedal@jmkac.org