Mark your reading place in style using a shoe bookmark! We will provide all of the materials to make a bookmark to take home. Take inspiration from the exhibition on view Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks, shoes in literature, or be your own creative designer! The librarian will have some templates on hand…
Join us for Sneaker Culture Night featuring music, food, raffle prizes, a low-mess hands-on art project, and an engaging presentation. Wear your favorite sneakers and make your way to the KIA! Starting at 5:30pm, explore the Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks exhibit, enjoy tunes from DJ No Limit, and a nacho bar from…
Join us for a family-friendly exploration of some of the shoes featured in Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks! All ages are welcome to join in the conversation as we observe shoe designs of the past, present, and future. Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts…
Put on your favorite pair of shoes and join us for a special night celebrating the artistry of footwear. Join us for a Gallery Gathering in Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting Edge Kicks at 5:30 before we kick off Explore and Create Night at 6pm. Continue to explore the exhibition and then create your…
During this virtual ArtBreak, learn more about Nick La Marca, the multimedia artist whose Sole Lines installation is on view in the KIA lobby. La Marca is an artist and documentarian working across photography and installation. Born and raised in the Bronx, his practice is deeply informed by the city’s cultural vibrancy and diversity. La…
Homeschool families are invited to learn, create, and explore at the KIA and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum (KVM). This collaborative event offers interactive activities designed to promote interdisciplinary learning, creativity, and an appreciation for art, history, and science. This event highlights the Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks exhibit. Bring your creativity and wear…
Meet a living legend in the world of shoe design! During this Artful Evening, Wilson W. Smith III will speak about his prolific career in the athletic footwear industry. The first Black designer for Nike, Smith has created shoes for Michael Jordan, Andre Agassi, Serena Williams, and many more. After a 41-year career with the…
Learn from a legendary athletic footwear designer and a Michigan college focused on the design industry. These workshops are aimed at high school and college students, or anyone interested in design, particularly shoe design. Schedule: 4-4:30pm - Check-in opens, view Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks exhibit 4:30-5:30pm - SPARK workshop with Wilson W.…
As we celebrate the future of shoes, it can be fascinating to look back to see where we have already been. During this ArtBreak talk, fashion historian and professor Iris Carney Cooper will offer an overview of notable and special shoe designs throughout time, discussing history, significance, function, and design. Cooper is a fashion historian,…
Join us for a special Artful Evening with Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto! Semmelhack is the curator of Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks. During this program, she will talk about why shoes matter and about how designers today are revolutionizing what we will put on…
Inspired by the innovation and history of sneakers, we will provide origami paper to fold your own mini shoe! A variety of styles and difficulty levels will be provided. Check out the exhibition Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks for inspiration and then drop by the library to try your hand at this detailed…
This short collaboration celebrates sneaker culture through poetry. Consisting of two parts, part one is a micro saga-in verse about a quest to find sneakers but yields an even great discovery beyond shoes. Part two is a collection of prose poems, a kind of mixtape, which explores many aspects of sneaker culture from overarching artistic…