Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

"In order to make visible their deep-rooted feelings, these artists demonstrate courage and vulnerability. Taking the very personal and making it public is an act of faith."

—Jerry Takigawa and Gail Enns, Co-Curators of our newest exhibition, Resilience—A Sansei Sense of Legacy

🗓️ On view starting today, through Nov. 1

Resilience—A Sansei Sense of Legacy is a program of Exhibits USA & National Endowment for the Arts. Presentation in Kalamazoo is sponsored by the Joy Light East Asian Art Acquisition and Exhibition Fund.

Thank you to all who joined the Gallery Gathering to hear from Rehema Barber, our Director of Curatorial Affairs!

Continue to explore For the People, By the People: America at 250 next week with a virtual artist’s talk with artist Dulce Pinzón (Wednesday at noon) and a performance lecture by Julio César Morales (Thursday at 6pm).

Exhibition made possible by support from Efroymson Family Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, and Talsma Furniture.

Become a KIA Docent ✨

We’re recruiting our next docent class. If you love connecting with people of all ages, apply to become one of these dedicated volunteers who facilitate interactive and engaging tours!

Sign up today at kiarts.org/docents

You'll have a special opportunity to learn more about our For the People, By the People: America at 250 with exhibition curator Rehema Barber, the KIA’s Director of Curatorial Affairs. At this Gallery Gathering, we will discuss the key themes and guiding ideas that inspired this richly varied exhibition while taking a closer look at select artworks.

🗓️ Thursday, August 6, 5:30–6:30pm at the KIA

Exhibition made possible by support from Efroymson Family Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, & Talsma Furniture.

We’re excited to announce Creative Commons: Expanding Art & Community! This project is an investment in the next generation of creativity, learning, and community at the KIA.

You can look forward to…
👋 A more welcoming campus
💪 Stronger arts education facilities
👫 Expanded community gathering space
💭 New opportunities for creative engagement

Construction will bring temporary inconveniences, but short-term disruptions will create lasting benefits.

Learn more about the project at kiarts.org/creativecommons

Enrollment for the Fall semester is now open to the public in the Kirk Newman Art School. Explore classes in a range of media including fiber arts, sculpture, drawing, painting, jewelry, printmaking, photography, and more.

Thank you to our Free July sponsors who made it possible for us to offer free admission all month long!

👏 DeNooyer Chevrolet and Your West Michigan Chevy Dealers
👏 Jim & Carol Carter
👏 County National Bank
👏 Meijer
👏 Friendship Village Kalamazoo

Thanks also to everyone who joined our renewed your KIA memberships. We look forward to seeing you at the exciting exhibitions, events, and classes in the year ahead!

Resilience—A Sansei Sense of Legacy opens 1 week from today, on August 8.

Told from the point of view of Sansei (third generation) Japanese Americans, Resilience is an exhibition of eight artists whose work reflects on the effect of EO9066 (the law that ordered the forced imprisonment of all Japanese Americans living on the west coast of the United States) as it resonated from generation to generation.

🖼️ Image credits: Na Omi Judy Shintani, Deconstructed Kimono II, 2011, vintage kimono, bamboo pole, ceramic vessel, stool. Courtesy of the artist.

Roger Shimomura, The Enemy #2 (detail), 2016, acrylic paint on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.

Kristine Aono, Daruma of Resilience, 2019 - 2021, photocopied documents, paper sticky notes, paint, Aqua Resin, EPS foam, wood base. Courtesy of the artist.

Resilience—A Sansei Sense of Legacy is a program of Exhibits USA and National Endowment for the Arts.

Thanks to Face Off Theatre Company for a powerful evening in our galleries. Alyssa Laney, Markeva Love, Khaliid Canales-King, Xavier Bolden, and Marissa Harrington performed original poems and excerpts from prominent Black American playwrights alongside selected artworks.

Face Off Theatre Company presents audiences with fresh and innovative work, creating transcendent theatre experiences that explore the complexity and richness of the Black experience while encouraging cross-cultural dialogue that illuminates and expands our understanding of the universal human experience.

Become a KIA member today, and you’ll enjoy 2 extra months of membership. That’s 14 months of free admission, Gallery Shop discounts, exhibition previews, and early enrollment in classes.

👨‍💻 Use code KIAEXTRA2 when you join or renew before the end of July at kiarts.org/membership