Two weeks ago, Shannon Pueschner, curator of exhibitions, and I visited Kohler and Sheboygan with a group of museum travelers for three days of arts, industry, and luxurious accommodations.
We started out exploring the Art Preserve of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, a 56,000 square foot exhibition space devoted to artist-built environments. The Art Preserve is a unique space defined by Ruth DeYoung Kohler’s vision to preserve the relationship between the artist and the place. Many of the artist-built environments were created and meant to remain outdoors, and the Art Preserve strives to display these artists’ body of work in a way that recreates the integral qualities of the original site.
View of visible storage display at the Art Preserve
The following day we headed off to the Kohler Company for a tour of the foundry and pottery factories, met with current Arts/Industry Residency participating artists, and spent time admiring the fantastical Kohler Design Center.
Following the factory tour, we headed back to The American Club for a deep dive into its history from the people who called the “American Club” home to the 1981 reimagining of The American Club to the esteemed Five-Dimond hotel and resort hotel we know today.
The American Club tour of the Wisconsin Room
Exterior view of The American Club
On our last day, after a hearty breakfast at one of the several extraordinary dining opportunities at the resort, we headed off to The John Michael Kohler Arts Center for a tour of their multifaceted exhibitions. There we experienced the exhibition Mad Dash: 50 Years of Arts/Industry highlighting the Arts/Industry Residency program at Kohler.
John Michael Kohler Arts Center exhibition “Work in Progress: Celebrating 50 Years of Arts/Industry”
John Michael Kohler Arts Center exhibition “Mad Dash: 50 Years of Arts/Industry”
We ended our journey at the James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden where we experienced an artist-built environment in-situ.
After returning to the Museum, all travelers (us included) were all left looking forward to the next Woodson adventure.
