The High School Area Show offers a unique opportunity for high school artists from Kalamazoo and surrounding counties to participate in a juried exhibition and display their work in a museum setting. The KIA is proud to support emerging artistic talent and committed to increasing young people’s access to the arts and arts education. This…
by Shonda Buchanan This powerful, deeply personal narrative explores Buchanan’s complex identity. She reflects on the trauma, resilience, and strength passed down through generations, as well as the tensions and misunderstandings she encountered due to her mixed heritage. Throughout, she weaves in stories of her ancestors, shedding light on the hidden and painful history of…
Enjoy free admission and extended hours until 8pm on Thursdays, thanks to generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program and the Efroymson Family Fund.
Drop in on Sundays between 1:30 - 2:30pm and have conversations with docents who can provide information and answer questions about the artwork in the KIA’s collection. Find the docents on the lower level of the museum’s galleries.
Detroit artist Richard Phillips started painting while in prison with a mail order watercolor set: landscapes, portraits of famous people, jazz musicians, and more, eventually creating over 400 paintings. Arrested in 1971 for a murder he didn’t commit, Phillips was in prison for 46 years. Creating art enabled him to persist and deal with the…
In anticipation of Wellspring’s annual RADFest, hear from this year’s RADicle Resident! Puerto Rican movement artist Lourdes del Mar Santiago Lebrón will discuss their new work, Tejer, inspired by the process of weaving. They observe, “Tejido (weaving) relies on pattern making and repetition; the practice, much like dance, requires patience, consistency, and practice. The ephemerality…
Enjoy free admission and extended hours until 8pm on Thursdays, thanks to generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program and the Efroymson Family Fund.
March is all about movement! Join us as we engage our hands with a story and a colorful painting project, followed by a fun movement session led by a Wellspring Academy teaching artist. Wellspring Dance Academy provides modern and contemporary dance instruction, while emphasizing organic movement and valuing community, expression, and inclusivity. We will be…
During this fun-filled Community Day, guests of all ages are invited to come to the KIA to move and to play, to imagine and to create. Following a special Art Detectives led by a teaching artist from Wellspring Dance Academy, guests of all ages are invited to gather for games of all sorts -- from…
Drop in on Sundays between 1:30 - 2:30pm and have conversations with docents who can provide information and answer questions about the artwork in the KIA’s collection. Find the docents on the lower level of the museum’s galleries.
Enjoy free admission and extended hours until 8pm on Thursdays, thanks to generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program and the Efroymson Family Fund.
KIA members, community partners, and those exhibiting their treasured objects are invited to join us for a special preview event celebrating Sourced from the ‘Zoo. Hear from the KIA's Executive Director, Michelle Hargrave, and Director of Curatorial Affairs, Rehema Barber, on this dynamic exhibition dedicated to highlighting community voices. Light refreshments will be available. About…