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ART MEETS INDUSTRY
by catherine bailey and simone earnhardt
We're pretty sure that you've heard of The Kohler Co. You know, the company famous for bathtubs, sinks, hardware and plumbing fixtures. Well, there's a side to Kohler (in fact, many sides) that you may not know about. Along with being a family-owned and operated company for over 125 years, they are also responsible for creating a wonderful environment where art meets industry.
The importance of art has long been encouraged at the Kohler headquarters in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. So much so, that the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) was started in 1967 for aesthetic and educational purposes — the "JMKAC functions as a catalyst for and explorer of new art forms and new ideas that will impact the lives of both artists and the public". The Center includes Artist in Residence programs, exhibitions, performing arts, lectures, festivals, events, art-based teen, adult and pre-school classes, summer camps and so much more — all to encourage a continuing dialogue between artists and the public.
The JMKAC's Artist in Residence program supports influential artists by opening its enamel, iron and brass foundry doors for use in any project of the residence's choosing. As well, Kohler has a research and development lab where artists have the freedom to develop glazes using the craftspeople and engineer's technical knowledge and advice as a guide. In return, the artists push the technical and artistic boundaries in directions that the R&D department would not normally have the ability to travel in.
We first learned of the JMKAC a few years ago through one of our workshop teachers, Lesley Baker, a former Kohler Artist in Residence. More recently, we've collaborated with Designer Amy Lau on one of six unique public washrooms
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commissioned by the John Michael Kohler Arts Center — we'll share more on this exciting tile project in our next newsletter, stay tuned...
THE POLITICS OF CRAFT AND DESIGN
Join us for a lively conversation about how craft and design manifest at the cultural cutting-edge and how makers respond to issues of urgency in the current political climate. Moderated by Andrew Wagner, Editor in Chief, American Craft with speakers Rob Forbes, Robin Petravic and many others. Details here
FACTORY STORE SPECIAL
Our large mugs in opaque white and birch are 20% of the seconds price during the month of August — in-store and while supplies last. Visit us soon.
SLOW FOOD NATION
Don't miss Slow Food Nation 2008. It's the first time ever there's been an event like this in the US. Make sure to check us out in the Tea Pavilion — those are our teacups they're using.
MOSAIC WORKSHOPS
Lisa Bookstein, long-time mosaic artist and instructor (and Heath staff member) will offer another round of mosaic classes at Heath —four workshop dates from August to December. More information here, classes fill quickly...
main image:
artist, Chris Lo Szelim 2007
small image:
artist, Gary Griffin 2007
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