John Micael Kohler Art Center, New exhibition series explores the role of place in the human experience

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New exhibition series explores the role of place in the human experience

SHEBOYGAN, WI .- This Must Be The Place, a series of five exhibitions at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, explores the concept that there are places, large or small, in our lives that hold meaning and influence far beyond a point on a map. The complete series will be on view October 23, 2014, through January 4, 2015; individual exhibitions began on September 14, and the last exhibition closes February 22. Through installation works, sculptures, photographs, a film, drawings, and the work of a vernacular environment builder from the Arts Center’s collection, twelve artists reveal their relationships with a powerful place in their lives. “The works illuminate the humanity and significance that can be drawn from and invested in a location when the experience of it transcends materiality,” said the series curator, Karen Patterson. This Must Be The Place presents a group exhibition with works by Heather Benning (Saskatchewan), Beverly Buchanan (MI), Scott Carter (IL), Sanford Darling (1894–1973), Frank Albert Jones (1900–1969), Alexandre Larose (Quebec), and Sebura & Gartelmann (IL). Four solo exhibitions in the series present works by Brent Green (PA), Kim Morgan (Nova Scotia), Martin Prekop (PA), and Kevin Blythe Sampson (NJ). An opening celebration of the series takes place from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, October 3. Guests can tour the galleries with Patterson and six of the exhibiting artists. There will also be a performance by world-music band Painted Caves, complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is located at 608 New York Ave. in downtown Sheboygan, WI. Free parking is available. Admission to the opening event is free for members and $10 for the general public. Tickets are available at the Arts Center and online at jmkac.org. Founded in 1967, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center is dedicated to making innovative arts programming accessible to a broad audience that ranges from academics to young children. Central to its mission is promoting the understanding and appreciation of the work of self-taught and contemporary artists through original exhibitions, commissioned works of art, performing arts programs, community arts initiatives and publications. The Arts Center’s collection focuses on works by vernacular environment builders, self-taught and folk artists, and works created in the Arts/Industry residency program. Looking to the future, the Arts Center continues to generate new explorations in the arts that foster creative exchanges between an international community of artists and a diverse public, making real the power of art to transform lives and strengthen communities. The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is supported by corporate and foundation donors and its many members; it is not an entity of Kohler Co. or its subsidiaries.

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