Detroit artist Richard Phillips started painting while in prison with a mail order watercolor set: landscapes, portraits of famous people, jazz musicians, and more, eventually creating over 400 paintings. Arrested in 1971 for a murder he didn’t commit, Phillips was in prison for 46 years. Creating art enabled him to persist and deal with the…
In anticipation of Wellspring’s annual RADFest, hear from this year’s RADicle Resident! Puerto Rican movement artist Lourdes del Mar Santiago Lebrón will discuss their new work, Tejer, inspired by the process of weaving. They observe, “Tejido (weaving) relies on pattern making and repetition; the practice, much like dance, requires patience, consistency, and practice. The ephemerality…
Enjoy free admission and extended hours until 8pm on Thursdays, thanks to generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program and the Efroymson Family Fund.
March is all about movement! Join us as we engage our hands with a story and a colorful painting project, followed by a fun movement session led by a Wellspring Academy teaching artist. Wellspring Dance Academy provides modern and contemporary dance instruction, while emphasizing organic movement and valuing community, expression, and inclusivity. We will be…
During this fun-filled Community Day, guests of all ages are invited to come to the KIA to move and to play, to imagine and to create. Following a special Art Detectives led by a teaching artist from Wellspring Dance Academy, guests of all ages are invited to gather for games of all sorts -- from…
Drop in on Sundays between 1:30 - 2:30pm and have conversations with docents who can provide information and answer questions about the artwork in the KIA’s collection. Find the docents on the lower level of the museum’s galleries.
Enjoy free admission and extended hours until 8pm on Thursdays, thanks to generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program and the Efroymson Family Fund.
KIA members, community partners, and those exhibiting their treasured objects are invited to join us for a special preview event celebrating Sourced from the ‘Zoo. Hear from the KIA's Executive Director, Michelle Hargrave, and Director of Curatorial Affairs, Rehema Barber, on this dynamic exhibition dedicated to highlighting community voices. Light refreshments will be available. About…
Join us as we wander through the galleries and see how many unique and creative lines we can find in the artworks.
Sourced from the 'Zoo opens to the public in conjunction with Art Hop on Friday, March 7 from 5–8pm. Sourced from the ‘Zoo is a community-wide exhibition celebrating the vibrancy and diversity of Kalamazoo and its residents. This dynamic, crowdsourced exhibition is a platform for everyone in Kalamazoo to participate, creating a shared space for…
Thinking of taking a class at the KIA? "Make it and take it all in one night" and join us for the School's Hands On event as it returns during Art Hop on Friday, March 7 from 6 to 9pm! This fun, fast-paced art making evening features a range of activities and creative projects highlighting…
Drop in on Sundays between 1:30 - 2:30pm and have conversations with docents who can provide information and answer questions about the artwork in the KIA’s collection. Find the docents on the lower level of the museum’s galleries.
3/11 UPDATE: This event has been canceled. We apologize for the inconvenience. Kalamazoo Art League Presents: Dr. Abbas Daneshvari, Art Historian & Scholar: Postmodernism Across Western and Eastern Arts: Of Language and Truth Explore the cultural transformations anticipated and reflected in the arts of Europe and the United States from the Surrealists to the Postmodernists.…
by Javier Zamora This poignant memoir recalls Zamora's harrowing journey from El Salvador to the United States, making the dangerous trek alone at nine years old. Zamora reflects on the emotional toll of being separated from his family as well as fear of the unknown. Solito is a raw and powerful exploration of the immigrant…
Enjoy free admission and extended hours until 8pm on Thursdays, thanks to generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program and the Efroymson Family Fund.
Explore the magical world of JooYoung Choi’s immersive installation, An Infinite Constellation of Love, on view in the Joy Light Gallery. Guests of all ages are welcome! Gallery stools will be available.
The KIA is proud to celebrate the talent of young artists, highlighting the colorful and impressive artwork of students from kindergarten through 8th grade in its annual Young Artists of Kalamazoo County exhibition. Each Spring, art teachers from participating schools select the artwork, providing the KIA with the opportunity to collaborate with our community’s highly-regarded…
Drop in on Sundays between 1:30 - 2:30pm and have conversations with docents who can provide information and answer questions about the artwork in the KIA’s collection. Find the docents on the lower level of the museum’s galleries.
During this ArtBreak, Elizabeth Start will offer an overview of the history and mission of Kalamazoo’s Connecting Chords Music Festival, including a description of their 2025 collaboration with K-RESA Education for the Arts to bring San Jose Taiko to town for a public performance on March 25, coupled with concerts for youth. Carolyn Koebel will…
Enjoy free admission and extended hours until 8pm on Thursdays, thanks to generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program and the Efroymson Family Fund.
Join interdisciplinary artist and world-builder JooYoung Choi as she shares insights into her studio practice and creative process. Choi is the creator of The Cosmic Womb, a highly structured imaginary world where she develops narratives that blend autobiographical and fantastic elements. Her work explores themes of identity, resilience, transformation, transracial adoption, birth family reunion, immigration,…
The Garden of Courage and Love is an ongoing artist project by JooYoung Choi where participants create flowers representing people who have shown them unconditional love. These flowers will be added to a growing garden that has been exhibited in multiple installations. Participants will create two larger flowers—one to take home and one to donate…
Drop in on Sundays between 1:30 - 2:30pm and have conversations with docents who can provide information and answer questions about the artwork in the KIA’s collection. Find the docents on the lower level of the museum’s galleries.
In this virtual ArtBreak, explore the art of puppetry with Bradford Clark, Professor of Theatre at Bowling Green State University. With a strong emphasis in puppetry, Clark has visited collections, studied with or interviewed artists, and attended conferences, festivals, and theatrical performances in India, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Japan, China, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria…
Enjoy free admission and extended hours until 8pm on Thursdays, thanks to generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program and the Efroymson Family Fund.
Join us for a free screening and discussion of the award-winning Netflix documentary Disclosure (2020). Disclosure offers an eye-opening look at transgender depictions in film and television, revealing how Hollywood simultaneously reflects and manufactures our deepest anxieties about gender. Leading trans thinkers and creatives, including Laverne Cox, Lilly Wachowski, Yance Ford, Mj Rodriguez, Jamie Clayton,…
Drop in on Sundays between 1:30 - 2:30pm and have conversations with docents who can provide information and answer questions about the artwork in the KIA’s collection. Find the docents on the lower level of the museum’s galleries.
Enjoy free admission and extended hours until 8pm on Thursdays, thanks to generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program and the Efroymson Family Fund.
During this special hour-long Gallery Gathering, join us for a gallery walkthrough with members of our local community who have contributed items to the Sourced from the ‘Zoo exhibition. Gallery stools will be available.
The galleries are brimming with amazing artwork made by kids! Let’s take a stroll and see what they’ve created.
Drop in on Sundays between 1:30 - 2:30pm and have conversations with docents who can provide information and answer questions about the artwork in the KIA’s collection. Find the docents on the lower level of the museum’s galleries.