Past Exhibitions at the KIA

The 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art, referred to now as simply the Armory Show, was the first major exhibition of modern art in the United States. This exhibition focuses on the work and artists featured in the Armory Show, with special emphasis on the Chicago venue.

Modern Twist explores the innovative shape that bamboo art has taken since the mid-twentieth century, highlighting the creativity of 17 contemporary artists through a stunning collection of 37 works.

The paintings of Catherine Hinkle (1926-1974) are abstract "color experiences." Hinkle studied art at Chicago's Institute of Design with Lazlo Moholy-Nagy, who called her his "little color genius." In her brief career, Hinkle created a body of work that, to this day, explores the spiritual aspects of non-objective art.

West Michigan is home to a talented community of visual artists, and some of their finest recent work will be on display at the KIA in the annual West Michigan Area Show. Since the 1960s, this juried exhibition has drawn hundreds of entries from a 14-county region of Michigan.

Ansel Adams' skill at creating photographs with a remarkable range and subtly of tones is legendary. Yet for all his technical mastery, Adams recognized that what made a compelling photograph was far more elusive. This exhibition suggests how his intuitive and emotional response to the landscape resulted in powerful and enduring photographs.

This annual juried exhibition is open to artists 18 years or younger in grades 9-12 residing in Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph or Van Buren counties.

With the opening of the Joy Light Gallery of Asian Art in 2010, the KIA is becoming known for its exhibitions of historical and contemporary work from Asian cultures. Included are works on paper, ceramics, and sculpture from both China and Japan.

Reflections tells a highly personal story of community and place through selected works from the collection of costume designer and arts patron, Myrna Colley-Lee. Featuring 50 paintings, works on paper, collages and fabric works, Reflections presents the lives, traditions, and environments of African Americans in the 20th century.

An exhibition that is a delight to behold. For a few weeks, the KIA's galleries will be filled with the most creative, colorful, whimsical art by young artists from kindergarten through eighth grades. Art for this show is selected for display by art teachers in schools with an active art program.

A nationally touring exhibition organized by Saint John's University, Stoked reviews recent work by Richard Bresnahan, Artist in Residence at Saint John's University, and four former apprentices who have worked with Richard and the Saint John's Pottery since it was established thirty years ago.

Through the generosity of many lenders in the greater Kalamazoo area, this exhibition will feature paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, and decorative arts that are seldom seen in public. We invite you to explore these treasures from private collections.

Since 1998, the Elisabeth Claire Lahti Fund has supported the purchase of sixty works of art-paintings, sculpture, ceramics, prints, drawings, and photographs-that have enhanced the quality and breadth of the KIA's collection. Some of these works, by artists such as Mary Cassatt, Jim Dine, Helen Frankenthaler, and Jasper Johns, have been brought together for this exhibition.

Dr. Paul Wang is not only an internationally recognized painter in traditional Chinese style, but is also an avid collector of East Asian art. This exhibition presents a selection of Asian painting, prints, and sculpture collected throughout his own lifetime and by his father, Wang Shangyi.

The KIA will host the biennial national juried exhibition of the Great Lakes Pastel Society. A variety of subjects are explored by masters of the pastel medium. Juror Sally Strand is an award-winning pastelist who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007, the highest commendation of the Pastel Society of America, NY.