Experiential Art Thoroughly Engages at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and Art Preserve in Sheboygan

 

John Michael Kohler Arts Center | Sheboygan, WI Art Experience

The John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin promotes the appreciation and exploration of the work of self-taught and contempory artists. Exhibits at John Michael Kohler Arts Center and the nearby Art Preserve truly invite guests to be part of the art and even inviting guests to amble inside of installations. Founded in 1967, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center has inspired and ignited creativity for decades.

A glass hall crafts my favorite gallery at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Amazing views of the courtyard and verdant plants lining the glass windows set quite the scene. Emerging from the gallery's rafters, we admired "What Will It Take For Us To Awake" by Ashwini Bhat. The piece is a bronze calla lily representing a rebirth.

The graceful bronze calla lily of "What Will It Take For Us To Awake" represents rebirth.

Each gallery within the JMKAC offered us a creative lens through which we experiencedvisions of a world and message forged by featured artists. While visiting during summer of 2025, I learned about grottoes that dotted the midwest. While I knew about a few, I had no idea how widespread the creation of grottoes were through the midwest. Grottoes present a place of introspection and can be site of pilgrimmage as well as a tourist site. Midwest grottoes can reflect the geology of an area, local industry, and design trends. JMKAC's exhibition A Beautiful Experience: The Midwest Grotto Tradition 

Included in the exhibition are pieces from one of the few known female grotto greaters -- Madeline Buol. Buol began assembling grottos at her home in Dubuque, Iowa in 1943. While exploring Buol's grottos, we easily noted her joy for using pieces from her travels in her assmeblages.

Madeline Buol's grottos incorporate elements from her travels and evoke spirituality.

Artist Stephanie Shih's Toy Building fascintes as well. The mosaic features fragments and potsherds from a 19th century Chinese fishing village in Monterey Bay, California. The piece pays homage to Milwaukee's Toy Building which was demolished in 1939. The original Toy Building hosted a Chinatown restaurant, pool hall, theater and more. Shih draws creative inspiration from the experiences of Chinese diaspora.

Stephanie Shih's colorful mosaic pays homage to the Toy Building in Milwaukee.

Discovering the John Michael Kohler House

On the JMKAC campus, visitors can find the John Michael Kohler House. The charming historic home was constructed in 1882 by John Michael Kohler, a former mayor of Sheboygan and founder of the Kohler Company. When you visit, take some time to enjoy the charming exterior of this Italianate home.

The mission of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center is to generate the creative exchange between artists and the public.

Intriguing ruins of Sheboygan's Andrew Carnegie Library.

Andrew Carnegie Library in Sheboygan

Among the many curiosities to be discovered wandering the John Michael Kohler Arts Center campus is the facade of the old Sheboygan Andrew Carnegie Library. Through the donation of Andrew Carnegie, the city constructed a new library in 1904. Eventually, Sheboygan's library was once again moved to reflect increased services and growth. The John Kohler Arts Center would raze the Andrew Carnegie Library to make room for its garden. However, the striking facade with its columns was kept. Now, the spot offers a peek into history as well as a intriguing spot for photos.

Remember to visit the courtyard on your visit where you will discover a number of different sculptures and a slice of serenity.

The Art Preserve is constructed from elements reflecting connection to its artists and nature.

Experience Immersive Environments at the Art Preserve

A visit to the Art Preserve offers a journey through artist-created environments transporting guests to a place and sparking memories, feelings, and reflections. Upon arriving at the museum, I assumed that much of the art would be at a distance -- both physically and mentally. Quickly, I learned that I was incorrect.

Emery Blagdon's "The Healing Machine" dazzles visitors with shining salvaged pieces while enhancing their healing properties.

Art displayed at the Art Preserve brings essence of place alive for visitors. Large scale pieces and collections evoke an essence of the original place in which the work was created. For example one of my favorite pieces, "The Healing Machine" by Emery Blagdon beckons explorers forth with shiny, glittery objects. Blagdon was fascinated by the properties of Earth's natural forces particularly the healing aspects of minerals, magentic fields, and electric currents. He salvaged pieces of sheet metal, tinfoil, magnets, masking tape, plastic beads, Christmas lights, and mechanical odds and ends to assemble repetive designs and mobiles in a farm shed. He also incorporated wrapped bundles and glass jars of chemical elements and minerals he acquired from a pharmacist he befriended in North Platte named Dan Dryden. He would call the piece "The Healing Machine."

Walking inside of "The Healing Machine" truly transports visitors to a magical world where glittery objects of all shapes dangle from the ceiling.

We fully experienced "The Healing Machine," walking inside the barn in wonder as the metallic elements swirled all around us part mystery, part awe. 

**See website for current exhibit listings.

Step up to the bedazzled porch of the "Beautiful Hol

Welcome to the Beautiful Holy Jewel Home

Speaking of glittery, pretty environs, the "Beautiful Holy Jewel Home" beckons visitors up to its front porch with rhinestone and shiny embellishments. After a divorce, Mississippi Artist Loy Bowling struggled to find his way and was inspired by faith and eventually Glen Campbell's Rhinestone Cowboy. He covered every inch of his house with rhinestones, glitter, metal scraps, pieces of holiday ornaments, and more shiny objects. The project took 5 years to complete. Bowlin passed away in 1995. The piece was acquired by collector Katy Emde who gifted it to the museum in 1998. 

Glittery details bring delight to visitors at the  "Beautiful Holy Jewel Home."

The museum contains over 35 artist-built environments designed which transport visitors to a place bringing forth feeling, understanding, and discovery. Additionally, the outdoor grounds feature intriguing sculptures and you may enjoy a visit with native birds as they flit through the gardens. Truly, a remarkable afternoon adventure.

Artist Designed Bathrooms

A unique feature of both the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and the Art Preserve -- artist designed bathrooms. So, art and experience incredibly through entirely throughout the pair of museums!

Journey Through Artist Exhibits While in Sheboygan

On your next Sheboygan vacation, plan to explore the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and Art Preseve for a creative escape. My own art and life's work is creative and experiential, so visiting the museums further ignited that inner inspiration. Admission to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and Art Preserve is free, so how can you miss them?