Feature image: Raul De Lara, Mis Flores, My Flowers. Courtesy of John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
Submitted
Sheboygan, WI – The John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) and Kohler Co. today announced the 12 artists who have been selected to participate in the 2027 Arts/Industry residency, a competitive three-month residency that enables artists to experiment with industrial materials and techniques at the Kohler Co. factory, working in collaboration with skilled manufacturers to produce new works in cast ceramic, iron, and brass.
The 2027 artists-in-residence are: Emily Endo, Raul De Lara, Amy Yoes, Erin Jane Nelson, Esther Elia, Christina Forrer, Jiha Moon, Tyanna Buie, Ben Gould, Gina Michaels, Chenlu Hou, and Jude Griebel.
“This year, we are excited to welcome a talented cohort of artists from different backgrounds and stages in their careers, advancing JMKAC’s mission of nurturing creativity through collaboration and exchange. Across more than 50 years of Arts/Industry, the program has fostered longstanding relationships between artists, craftspeople, and the Arts Center itself, creating an expansive community of innovators and creators. We are thrilled to grow our community with such a dynamic group representing the 2027 cohort, a few of whom are returning or expanding upon their collaboration with us in new ways.” said Amy Horst, Executive Director of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
Kohler Arts Center.
“The 2027 Arts/Industry cohort brings an inspiring group of individuals whose innovations in material and form tackle relevant issues on both a personal and collective level. We are excited to bring such a robust group to Kohler, and to support the careers of artists through hands-on collaboration and dialogue.” said Laura Kohler, Arts/Industry Executive Sponsor and Kohler Foundation President.
Established in 1974, Arts/Industry is a collaboration between the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, a nonprofit arts organization in Sheboygan, WI, and Kohler Co., the global kitchen and bath manufacturing company headquartered in nearby Kohler, WI. Created by JMKAC executive director Ruth DeYoung Kohler II in collaboration with Kohler Co. Executive Chairman Herbert Kohler Jr. as a forum for creative exchange, the program provides 12 artists each year with studio space in Kohler Co.’s Pottery and Foundry, along with materials, use of equipment, and opportunities to collaborate with factory associates—exchanging expertise to explore new ways of thinking and working, both in the studio and on the factory floor.
Center, a nonprofit arts organization in Sheboygan, WI, and Kohler Co., the global kitchen and
Arts/Industry has inspired major bodies of work, unlocked new creative practices, and sparked longstanding collaborative relationships. JMKAC and the Kohler Foundation, who serve as stewards of the collection, overseeing its management and care, each receive a work created during every artist’s residency, establishing collections that trace half a century of artistic experimentation by more than 600 artists, including Arlene Shechet, Edra Soto, Ghada Amer, Jack Earl, Joel Otterson, Joyce Kozloff, Robert Gober, Beth Lipman, Theaster Gates, Willie Cole, and Woody De Othello. Nine program alumni have returned to the factory on commissions for
JMKAC’s signature artist-designed washrooms; among these, Wisconsin-based artist and curator Michelle Grabner recently donated over 2000 works spanning her career and teaching practice to JMKAC, and ceramicist Ann Agee will receive her first major survey exhibition at the Arts Center in 2027 (Ann Agee: AGEE MFG, on view March 6 – August 22, 2027).
Throughout the year, Kohler Co. will host four artists at a time for the three-month residency; within each cohort, two residents work in the Kohler Co. Pottery and two in the Foundry. Advance experience working with clay or metal is not required—simply an interest in adapting industrial processes to the artist’s practice. In addition to 24/7 studio access, residents receive free industrial materials, equipment, technical support, photographic services, housing, round-trip transportation, and a monthly honorarium.
Applications for the 2028 Arts/Industry residency will open on January 1, 2027. The deadline to apply is February 28, 2027. Visit jmkac.org for full details and application guidelines.
About the John Michael Kohler Arts Center
Founded in 1967, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) is a nonprofit creative hub dedicated to presenting and preserving the work of contemporary artists through original exhibitions, commissions, residencies, community arts programming, and publications. The only institution in the world that collects artist-built and artist home-based environments, JMKAC is a leading center for research and presentation of self-taught and folk artists, preserving and championing work that cannot be found anywhere else. Spanning two facilities that are free andopen to the public, the Arts Center and the Art Preserve, JMKAC’s campus includes eight galleries, two performance spaces, and 56,000 square feet of curated, visible collections storage.
JMKAC’s wide range of programming responds to community needs and fosters both global idea exchange as well as lifelong engagement with the arts, including an onsite preschool; free classes and events; and its flagship Arts/Industry residency program, a partnership with Kohler Co. that provides artists with resources and studio space at the Kohler factory. For more information, visit jmkac.org.
About Kohler Co.
For more than 150 years, Kohler Co. has been a global leader in bold design and innovation, dedicated to helping people live gracious, healthy, and sustainable lives through its kitchen and bath products; wellness products and services; and luxury hospitality experiences and major championship golf. Privately held Kohler Co. was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin. The company also develops sustainable living solutions to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations. Its Innovation for Good platform addresses pressing issues, such as clean water and safe sanitation, with breakthrough products and services for underserved communities. David Kohler serves as Chair and CEO and represents the fourth generation of Kohler family leadership.
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