The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts’ mission is to cultivate the creation and appreciation of the visual arts in West Michigan. We believe the arts are for everyone. They inspire, fulfill, and transform. Founded in 1924, the KIA is a non-profit organization that has been a cornerstone of the arts and culture community for a century. With a permanent collection of nearly 5,000 works of art, the KIA presents touring and collection exhibitions in 10 galleries; offers four terms of art classes at the Kirk Newman Art School; and houses the KIA Gallery Shop, featuring artwork by area artists and international artisans.
","location":"314 S. Park St. Kalamazoo, MI 49007","display_location":"314 S. Park St. Kalamazoo, MI 49007","slug":"kalamazoo-institute-of-arts","latitude":"0.000000","longitude":"0.000000","contact":"","state":"published","created_at":"2025-11-17 21:31:52.324","updated_at":"2025-12-03 15:48:05.844","sub_district_id":"35","promoted_at":null,"optional_sort_name":"","thumbnail":"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1764776873/nkcfrqbkjggxld9rimch.jpg","paid":true},"sociable_links":[{"id":4376,"address":"https://www.facebook.com/KalamazooInstituteOfArts/","social_linkable_id":2466,"social_linkable_type":"Organization","position":null,"kind":"Facebook","created_at":"2025-12-03 15:48:07.749","updated_at":"2025-12-03 15:48:07.749"},{"id":4377,"address":"https://www.instagram.com/kalamazooinstituteofarts/","social_linkable_id":2466,"social_linkable_type":"Organization","position":null,"kind":"Instagram","created_at":"2025-12-03 15:48:07.749","updated_at":"2025-12-03 15:48:07.749"}],"events":[{"id":32124,"title":"Resilience: A Sansei Sense of Legacy","starts_at":"2026-08-08 11:30:40.899","ends_at":"2026-11-01 17:00:00","body":"Told from the point of view of Sansei (third generation) Japanese Americans, Resilience—A Sansei Sense of Legacy is an exhibition of eight artists whose work reflects on the effect of EO9066 (The law ordered the forced imprisonment of all Japanese Americans living on the west coast of the United States) as it resonated from generation to generation. While several of the artists in Resilience employ traditional Japanese methods in the construction of their work—Lydia Nakashima Degarrod’s use of boro stitching on her works on paper; Na Omi Judy Shintani’s kimono cutouts honored in ceramic vessels—others use iconography relating to Japanese culture as a jumping-off point for personal explorations on the subject of the incarceration camps—Reiko Fujii’s photographs-as-kimono; Wendy Maruyama’s columns of replicated camp ID tags. Each in their own way, the artists in this exhibition express moments of deeply felt pain and reluctant acceptance, emotions which were often withheld by their elders.
Exhibition artists are: Kristine Aono, Reiko Fujii, Wendy Maruyama, Lydia Nakashima Degarrod, Tom Nakashima, Roger Shimomura, Na Omi Judy Shintani, and Jerry Takigawa.
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Drawing entirely from the permanent collection of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Among the Beasts spans centuries, continents, and vast/varied artistic traditions. Ancient pre-Columbian gold pendants, Japanese netsuke, Chinese scrolls, African sculpture, European and American prints, and contemporary paintings and photographs reveal the remarkable diversity of ways animals appear in art. Together, these works demonstrate that animals are far more than artistic subjects—they are a mirror of human beliefs, identity, wonder, and creativity. Across time and place, artists continue to use animals to understand both the world around us and the stories we tell.
Fashion and the visual arts, particularly portraiture, share a common vernacular. Both practices frame the body, and in doing so, shape how personhood is constructed, perceived, and valued within culture. These artistic practices do more than present appearances; they mediate agency, authorship, and visibility. As a result, dress and the visual arts become sites where identity, including the construction of the feminine, is staged, negotiated, and at times contested.
Statement Pieces: Fashioning the Self & Society brings together selections from the collection of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA) spanning nearly 200 years and contemporary fashion objects from the Barrett Barrera Projects collection to explore how self-presentation and expression have been presented, shaped, and reimagined. From Alexander McQueen to James Van Der Zee, groupings of representational and abstract artworks, alongside fashion, invite viewers to consider the dynamic between one’s exterior appearance and inner life—between what is seen and what is self-defined.
Organized in conjunction with Barrett Barrera Projects.
Drawn from the distinguished collection of Jeffrey and Carol Horvitz, Chanoyu (pronounced chan-o-you) presents a focused selection of contemporary and modern Japanese tea bowls and water jars that honor and reinvent the traditions of the tea ceremony. Through subtle variations in form, glaze, and texture, these works reveal the enduring influence of chanoyu while embracing the individuality of postwar ceramics studio practices.
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The exhibition contrasts cutting-edge technology with hands-on craftsmanship, questioning whether the collaboration between human creativity and technology truly negates the concept of “man-made.” Through hands-on experiences, Taekyeom invites visitors to engage with the tactile and spatial nature of his designs. In doing so, Printed & Fired challenges viewers to rethink the sensory and material aspects of design and the new forms that can emerge to create more accessible and engaging experiences for all.
Born and raised in South Korea, Taekyeom became interested in design through a combination of technical curiosity and creative experimentation. Taekyeom’s curiosity, combined with a personal health challenge that altered his perception of design and its functionality, has profoundly shaped his work. An internationally recognized interdisciplinary designer, researcher, and educator, Taekyeom is currently an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at Indiana University Bloomington. He earned an M.F.A. in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree from Keimyung University in South Korea. His research explores unconventional materials and alternative solutions to create tangible typography, graphics, and designed objects through digital fabrication. Taekyeom’s practice promotes a multisensory and accessible understanding of graphic design, aiming to make the field more inclusive, material, interactive, and playful.
Click here to view events in connection with this exhibition.
Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is a groundbreaking new exhibition featuring nearly 60 futuristic footwear designs pushing the boundaries of what footwear can be. Exhibiting an incredible mix of fashion, design, gaming, new media, architecture, and material arts as well as sustainable and collaborative practices, the exhibition showcases work by designers as diverse as Rem D. Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid, innovators Mr. Bailey and Salehe Bembury, as well as designs made in collaboration with fashion icons Rick Owens, Stella McCartney, and Yohji Yamamoto, and top gaming and innovation companies such as PlayStation, Gravity Sketch, and more.
Future Now features sections exploring Innovation, Sustainability, Transformative, and Virtual shoes. Exhibition highlights include the self-lacing Nike MAG (first conceived for the movie Back to the Future Part II), digitally designed and 3D-printed shoes, sneakers made from mushroom leather and reclaimed ocean plastics, virtual footwear, and more.
“The future is always being shaped by the present. The exhibition includes many incredible and innovative new footwear designs that are promising to transform what we will wear tomorrow. From sneakers created to address issues related to sustainability and inclusion to shoes that blur the line between the real world and the metaverse, this exhibition explores how forward-looking creators are helping us step into the future.”
—Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and Senior Curator, Bata Shoe Museum
The KIA is pleased to present the annual Young Artists of Kalamazoo County exhibition, celebrating the artistic achievements of students in grades K–8. Nearly 70 art educators carefully select each featured work, creating a highly-anticipated partnership with our community’s exceptional teachers. This yearly highlight offers visitors of all ages a dynamic and uplifting experience.
This show is open to K-8 students attending school in Kalamazoo County. Teachers are able to choose works from their students to be displayed at the KIA. The number of works that a teacher is able to submit is determined by the number of students attending their school. View info for educators here.
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From the luminous depths of cobalt-painted porcelain to the brilliance of carved lapis lazuli and the bold Prussian blue of Japanese ukiyo-e prints, this exhibition brings together works that illuminate the remarkable journey of blue across materials and artistic traditions. From Cobalt to Indigo will explore symbolism, craftsmanship, technological advancements, and cross-cultural influences. It showcases blue as both a material and an evolving metaphor. This exhibition invites audiences to see a familiar color anew and to experience the profound beauty and cultural resonance of blue in East Asian art.
Click here to see all events in connection with this exhibition.
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The 2026 juror is Ginger Owen-Murakami. Owen-Murakami’s artwork reflects narratives of family history, race, gender, and culture. Her practice includes installation, sculpture, and various photographic methods. She is currently a Professor of Photography at Western Michigan University’s Gwen Frostic School of Art.
The show is open to high school students residing in Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties. Students can submit up to two works online. (Submissions have closed for 2026.)
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Local artists from 14 West Michigan counties submit their art for a chance to be juried into the show. More than $6,000 will be awarded and entries can range from paintings, prints, and photos to mosaics, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, and mixed-media works.
2026 WMAS Juror
This year’s juror is Xuxa Rodríguez, Patsy R. and Raymond D. Nasher Curator of Contemporary Art at Duke University’s Nasher Museum. Prior to her role at Duke, Rodríguez served as the Associate Curator of Contemporary Arts at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Rodríguez will present an ArtBreak lecture on Wednesday, May 27, at noon in the KIA auditorium.
2026 WMAS Awards
Click here to see upcoming events in connection with this exhibition.
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","type":null,"state":"published","slug":"2026-west-michigan-area-show","created_at":"2026-08-26 17:22:38.384","updated_at":"2026-08-26 17:22:38.384","excerpt":"","is_timeless":true,"organization_id":2466,"highlighted":false,"opening_starts_at":null,"opening_ends_at":null,"searchable":"'2026':1A '300':24B 'annual':10B 'area':4A 'artist':14B 'care':19B 'ceram':35B 'crowd':8B 'crowd-pleas':7B 'curat':20B 'entri':26B 'exhibit':12B 'featur':13B 'jewelri':36B 'juri':11B 'media':41B 'michigan':3A,17B 'mix':40B 'mixed-media':39B 'mosaic':34B 'paint':29B 'photo':32B 'pleas':9B 'print':30B 'rang':27B 'sculptur':37B 'show':5A 'submit':25B 'west':2A,16B 'work':42B","thumbnail":null,"calendar":null,"carousel":false,"category_name":"Exhibitions"},{"id":31464,"title":"75th Annual Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair","starts_at":"2026-06-05 15:00:00","ends_at":"2026-06-06 17:00:00","body":"The KIA Arts Fair Returns for Milestone 75th Year! The event will take place on June 5 & 6, 2026, with timings on Friday from 3–8pm and on Saturday from 9am–5pm. The KIA Arts Fair in Bronson Park will feature nearly 150 fine artists in 12 distinct mediums presenting their unique works of fine art to collect, wear, and use. Throughout Friday and Saturday, attendees can enjoy strolling, shopping, live music, kids’ activities, food truck cuisine, artist demonstrations led by the Kirk Newman Art School, and free gallery admissions at the KIA. The fair will showcase a wide selection of fine artists working in various mediums including Jewelry, Precious & Non-Precious, Photography, Digital Media, Drawing, Pastels & Prints, 2D & 3D Mixed Media, Metal, Sculpture, Fiber, Leather, Ceramics, Painting, Wood, Glass & more. Michelle Hargrave, Executive Director of the KIA, states that the 75th KIA Arts Fair is both a celebration of history and a reflection of the future, emphasizing the role of arts in bringing people together and fostering creativity. The KIA is proud to be part of JumpstART Summer weekend featuring the KIA Arts Fair, Art on the Mall, the Do Dah Parade, and Kalamazoo Pride. The event promises an unforgettable celebration of creativity, community, and the power of the arts. For more information, sponsorship, or volunteering opportunities, visit https://www.kiarts.org/arts-fair/.
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Spanning photography, printmaking, painting, sculpture, and installation-based works, this exhibition juxtaposes notable artists such as Dorothea Lange, Jacob Lawrence, Alfred Stieglitz, Hank Willis Thomas, and Andy Warhol with rising artists like Erica Lord, Julio Cesar Morales, and Cara Romero, among many others. From iconic images of migration and protest to neon text works and staged portraits that center Indigenous, African American, and diasporic experiences, the artists featured in For the People, By the People fashion and challenge the rhetoric and visual language of patriotism, social consciousness, labor, visibility, and belonging.
Simultaneously celebratory and contemplative, this exhibition invites visitors to reflect on America’s founding principles and our current lived realities. By placing historic works in dialogue with contemporary practices, For the People, By the People: America at 250 not only commemorates the nation’s 250th anniversary, but it also serves as a timely meditation on who “the people” were then—and who we aspire to be now.
Click here to see all events in connection with this exhibition.
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