SHEBOYGAN – Not bad for a museum with world-class art, free admission and nationally admired bathrooms.
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center has been named one of “The 30 Best Art Museums in the U.S.” by ARTnews, landing at No. 6 on the national list.
The Sheboygan museum finished just behind the Getty Center in Los Angeles and just ahead of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. The Art Institute of Chicago ranked No. 4.
Why ARTnews singled out the Sheboygan museum
ARTnews praised JMKAC as a destination museum worth traveling to, highlighting exhibitions visitors cannot see anywhere else and the center’s long-running commitment to contemporary art, self-taught artists and artist-built environments.
The publication pointed to recent exhibitions devoted to artists such as pictorial sweater knitter Sam Barsky and to explorations of Midwestern grottoes, which use shells, fossils, geodes and other materials to create intricate folk art environments.
The Arts/Industry program helped build its reputation
ARTnews also highlighted the Arts Center’s Arts/Industry residency, a partnership that gives artists access to Kohler Co.’s industrial facilities and materials.
The program, which dates to 1973, marked its 50th year in 2024, according to Sheboygan Press reporting.
Art Preserve adds another one-of-a-kind reason to visit
The ranking also called out JMKAC’s Art Preserve, a 56,000-square-foot facility dedicated to preserving and sharing artist-built environments and the work of self-taught artists.
The Art Preserve houses entire bodies of work by artists including Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, whose creations include crowns made from chicken bones and miniature thrones crafted for his wife.
JMKAC says recognition reflects artists, staff and community
“We are deeply honored to be recognized by ARTnews among the nation’s leading art museums,” Executive Director Amy Horst said in a news release Aug. 11. “This acknowledgment reflects the creativity and vision of the artists we work with, the dedication of our staff and volunteers, and the generosity of our supporters and community.”
The museum has been recognized before — even for its bathrooms
This is not the first time JMKAC has earned national attention. In 2022, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and Art Preserve were recognized by the American Alliance of Museums for having some of the country’s best museum bathrooms, according to Sheboygan Press reporting.
The artist-designed washrooms are enough of a draw that JMKAC promotes them as part of the visitor experience. The center’s website describes them as “award-winning washrooms.”
JMKAC also received the 2023 Governor’s Tourism Award for Arts, Culture & Heritage.
Sheboygan Press has also reported on the museum’s continued expansion of programs and offerings, including a free digital guide launched with Bloomberg Connects and the milestone 50th year of the Arts/Industry program.
What to know if you visit John Michael Kohler Arts Center
Founded in 1967, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center is a nonprofit creative hub that presents contemporary art through exhibitions, commissions, residencies, publications and community programming. The Arts Center is at 608 New York Ave. in Sheboygan, and the Art Preserve is at 3636 Lower Falls Road.
Both locations are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Both are closed Mondays and select holidays.
Admission is free at both the Arts Center and Art Preserve. Learn more at https://www.jmkac.org/.
Contact Brandon Reid at breid@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan’s JMKAC lands No. 6 on US museum ranking
Reporting by Brandon Reid, Sheboygan Press / Sheboygan Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brandon Reid, Sheboygan Press | USA TODAY Network
