In anticipation of the 2024 West Michigan Area Show’s opening on May 3, juror Jessica Silverman sits down for a conversation with Rehema Barber, the KIA’s Director of Curatorial Affairs. Drawing on perspectives honed from many years working in curatorial positions in both the commercial and non-profit art sectors, Silverman and Barber will discuss the…
The work of West Michigan’s talented artistic community is on view during the annual West Michigan Area Show. Opening to the public on Friday, May 3, this crowd-pleasing annual juried exhibition was carefully curated from more than 300 submitted entries, ranging from paintings, prints, and photos to mosaics, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, and mixed-media works. This…
Michigan photographer Emily J. Gómez will share her work in New Cyanotype, explaining how and why she uses this handmade blueprint process. Through the series Unearthed, she investigates places where Native American towns in the Southeast and Midwest once prospered and considers what they have become. Her latest series, titled Cumberland Island: Land, Water, Wind,…
Reception: 5:00 - 6:00pm Lecture: 6:00 - 7:00pm Light refreshments will be served at the reception. This event is free and open to the public. Learn more about works featured in The Anniversary Show: Promised Gifts from the Joy and Timothy Light Collection with Dr. Mary-Louise Totton. This exhibition delves into the artistic heritage of…
Seth Thomas Sutton is an Emmy-nominated Métis artist, scholar, author, and activist. He holds Masters degrees in Visual and Critical Studies from Kendall College of Art and Design and is currently chair of the Arts and Humanities Department at Montcalm Community College. Sutton is a member of the Native American Advisory Council at Grand Valley…
You’re ready to turn your artistic vision into reality. You’ve connected with others in your field. You’ve found an opportunity that sounds right for you. Now what? Artist Happy Hour: How to Get the Gig is a collaboration between the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo (ACGK) and the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. All are invited…
Together with the Ladies' Library Association, we invite you to this multidisciplinary presentation in connection to Michigan artist Betty Beeby. Through the visual arts, music, and dance, we will examine Beeby's long-reaching artistic influence, inspired by the story of the Petersboro Letters. When letters are unearthed in the family barn detailing a long-lost relationship between…
Kalamazoo holds the unique distinction of being home to one of the nation’s longest-standing, small professional modern dance companies. Celebrating its 44th year in 2025, Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers hail from a distinct lineage of pioneer modern dance companies. Since its founding in 1981, the organization has introduced thousands to the art of dance, enriched…
Rescheduled! The exhibition Legendary Voices: Art for the Next Century invites visitors to view much-loved pieces from the KIA’s collection in fresh ways, often drawing unexpected connections between very different works of art. In keeping with this concept, educational programming throughout the run of the exhibition will offer guests opportunities to engage with the visual arts…
Meet artist Kelly Church, an Ottawa/Pottawatomi black ash basket maker, fiber artist, educator, activist, and culture keeper. A member of the Gun Lake Band in Michigan and descendent of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Ojibwe, she comes from an unbroken line of black ash basket makers and from the largest black ash weaving…
Join interdisciplinary artist and world-builder JooYoung Choi as she shares insights into her studio practice and creative process. Choi is the creator of The Cosmic Womb, a highly structured imaginary world where she develops narratives that blend autobiographical and fantastic elements. Her work explores themes of identity, resilience, transformation, transracial adoption, birth family reunion, immigration,…
One of the themes from Sourced from the ‘Zoo explores self-care and well-being. This event invites you to drop in and sample different activities at your own pace to find lasting habits that can contribute to a healthier, more balanced life. With activities led by several Kirk Newman Art School instructors, you’ll have opportunities to…