2024 marks a century of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts shaping the cultural landscape of Kalamazoo County and southwest Michigan. The rich history of the KIA is a testament to the community’s commitment to arts and culture, exemplified by its compelling exhibitions, thought-provoking programs, the Kirk Newman Art School, and ensuring art is for everyone. There are a number of ways for you to celebrate our centennial year.
Scroll down to explore 100 years of history.
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Local chapter of the American Federation of Arts incorporates at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts at YMCA on Rose Street with programs and classes at other venues.
The KIA, then located at 347 South Rose Street, shared its new home with the public museum and library art department.
The Art Center hired its first full-time director and began offering art classes to both children and adults.
The Institute moved from its leased temporary home to its first owned home, a Victorian at 421 West South Street.
Kirk Newman joins the KIA as part of the University of Michigan Extension Service.
The annual art fair begins as the Clothesline Art Show. Tens of thousands of people were attracted to Bronson Park to attend the one-day art exhibition and sale with local and regional artists.
The 44,000-square-foot Genevieve & Donald Gilmore Art Center was finished. The building was based on a Mies van der Rohe design, created by Chicago architecture firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. At this time, annual gallery attendance increases to 9,000 visitors, with the art school serving 900 students per year.
Walt Disney (right) visited the KIA in 1964. He is pictured with former Executive Director Alfred Maurice, who served as director 1959–65.
Classes resume and staff moved back into the renovated facility, using the 1961 building as its base. The new building was a direct result of the $14.5 million capital campaign. The facility expanded to 77,000 square feet. At this point, the KIA had over 3,100 works in its permanent collection, with membership exceeding 1,900. Its annual budget increased by about 8,579% from 1961.
Chihuly’s glass exhibition breaks attendance records, with the artist visiting Kalamazoo in support of the show.
Kirk Newman served as Director of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts’ School from 1949 to 1978. He originally designed the sculptures of Kalamazoo children at Bronson Park to commemorate the United States bicentennial in 1976. He passed away Nov. 4, 2017.
With the acquisition of Tender Breeze by Philamonia Williamson and North Rim Clouds by Kay Walkingstick, the first paintings by a Black woman (Williamson) and an Indigenous woman (Walkingstick) enter the KIA’s permanent collection.
In 2019, the KIA hosted the touring exhibition “Black Refractions: Highlights from The Studio Museum in Harlem” and solo shows by contemporary artists Orna Ben-Ami, Inka Essenhigh, Maya Freelon, and Sungyhun Moon
The museum’s permanent collection numbers nearly 5,000 objects. KNAS yearly enrollment tops 3,000, with 500 classes, workshops, and camps offered annually.
With a unanimous recommendation from the Board of Directors, Michelle Hargrave accepted the position of Executive Director at the KIA and began on May 6, 2024. “Together, we will chart an exciting course for the future of the museum that fosters creativity, inclusivity, innovation, and meaningful connections through the transformative power of art.”
The KIA celebrates its 100th year and counting!