Krasl Art Center is open to the public and is a creative and inclusive place to engage with the arts for free.
Explore sculpture outdoors, experience contemporary exhibitions in The Galleries and The Lab, purchase artist-made items, learn in our studios, and attend dynamic programs and events year-round.
Family Days & Family Nights: Free drop-in artmaking for all ages. Events take place at Benton Harbor Public Library and at Krasl Art Center.
Visit krasl.org for details on exhibition programming and classes.
Image: The exterior of the Krasl Art Center. Photo by Aram Vartian
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The Hull-House Art School, established by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, with Enella Benedict as its first director, provided classes and studio space for youngsters and adults alike from 1893 onward to the 1960s. It was an important, but underappreciated, cultural phenomenon in Chicago. In this exhibition, artworks range from functional to fine art and include commemorative medallions, artist-illustrated books and calendars, novels, jewelry, metalwork, fabrics, ceramics, prints, maps, drawings, and paintings. These works — from the late eighteenth to the mid-twentieth century — represent the deep impact contributed by a community art center and highlight the affiliated artists who made them. While some are little known, several artists in the exhibition are prominent in Chicago collections (including the Art Institute of Chicago) and are found in museums, homes, and other repositories throughout the United States.
Michael R. Hill has curated the exhibit and is preparing an exhibition catalog. Dr. Hill has served as a docent at the Krasl Art Center and is an astute interdisciplinary scholar who is ever learning and engaging with the arts of Chicago and Southwest Michigan.