What does it mean to curate as we live through apocalyptic times? Join our 2026 West Michigan Area Show juror, Dr. Xuxa Rodríguez, as she shares about her curatorial practice and explores what making exhibitions and writing about art means as the stakes of our collective global livelihoods grow higher. Dr. Rodríguez will offer reflections…
Stop in to the KIA during Arts Fair for a hands on art activity! We will provide the supplies to create your own Gelli Plate printed sneaker. Experiment with colorways inspired by objects featured in Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks! Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is co-organized by the American Federation…
During this Gallery Gathering, we will take a closer look at Manierre Dawson's Mother and Child and Henry Ossawa Tanner's The Visitation. While both early 20th century paintings depict religious scenes, the artists approached their subject matter in distinctly different ways. Dawson, credited with being America's first abstract artist, employs Cubist techniques, while Dawson, considered…
In June, bring your little ones for a stroll through the permanent collection. Through close looking and simple gallery activities we'll search for figures and faces in the artwork.
Author Natalie Dykstra recounts the story of Isabella Stewart Gardner's extraordinary life in this moving and illuminating biography. A Boston socialite, Gardner lived a life full of passion but one which was also marked by grief. Dykstra delivers compelling insight into Gardner's friendships, world travels, and her keen eye for collecting treasures all of which…
Join the KIA as we remember Juneteenth, which is a holiday that commemorates the abolishment of slavery in the United States. Participate in various activities, including viewing artworks by African American artists, drop-in low-mess art activities, and more.
Summer Jams returns to the KIA as a lively open mic night celebrating music, poetry, and creative expression. This event brings artists and community members together to share their voices in a welcoming and creative space. Performers of all backgrounds are invited to take the stage, whether you’re a musician, poet, spoken word artist, or…
During this Artful Evening talk, artist Julia Whitney Barnes will speak about her Planting Utopia series, featured in the Hancock Shaker Museum, the Shaker Heritage Society, and the Albany International Airport. Barnes will also address her larger body of research and her permanent artwork The Botanist's Mural. On view in Vassar College's newly-built Vassar Institute,…
Tour the West Michigan Area Show with some of the talented local artists whose work is included in the exhibition! During this extended Gallery Gathering, we will hear from artists working in a variety of media, offering insights on the pieces they contributed to the show, their points of inspiration, their approaches to the creative…
In July, little art lovers will explore For the People, By the People: America at 250. The exhibition highlights the story of America and its diverse communities. We'll spend some time in the galleries to see how artists bring those stories to life.
Elise Hooper's biography of Dorothea Lange follows her life from early successes running a portrait studio in San Francisco to her Depression-era work documenting America's suffering and injustice. As she pursues her art through personal and professional turmoil, Lange's camera becomes a powerful tool for empathy, reform, and truth-telling, even at great personal cost. This…
The story of the U.S. national anthem—“The Star-Spangled Banner”—is surprising and too little-known. Among the typical misunderstandings is that its author, Francis Scott Key, wrote a poem. In fact, he wrote a lyric to a well-known tune, creating a song that brought emotion into the drama of America. Key sought both to bring Americans together…