Kohler and the Arts
"Life without labor is guilt—labor without art is brutality."
—John Ruskin
Complementing the Arts/Industry residency program, the Kohler MakerSpace offers artists and designers the unique opportunity to create, utilizing industrial materials in the Kohler Pottery and the expertise of ceramic artisans crafting our products. An invitation residency, Kohler MakerSpace allows artists and designers to experiment and expand on existing bodies of work or large-scale commissions.
Arts/Industry Residency Program
In partnership with the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Kohler hosts the Arts/Industry residency program, which brings design, artistry, innovation, and craftsmanship together in a collaboration between artists and our associates.
Arts/Industry 50th Anniversary
Celebrating the impact of siblings Ruth DeYoung Kohler II and Herbert V. Kohler, Jr.'s vision to bring artists and artisans together.
Over 400 Applications Per Year
More Than 600 Arts/Industry Pieces in Kohler's Collection
More Than 600 Residencies to Date
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC)
The JMKAC is an independent, not-for-profit contemporary art museum and performing arts complex located in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The center preserves and exhibits artist-built environments and contemporary art.
Arts/Industry 50th Collective
Explore this exhibition and resource space in The Shops at Woodlake in Kohler, Wisconsin, highlighting 50 years of art making and artwork produced by participants of the Arts/Industry residency program.
Makers in Place: Kohler Celebrates 50 Years of Arts/Industry
On display at the 2024 Miami Art Week fair was a vibrant and robust exhibition of artwork by Arts/Industry alumni. More than 50 pieces were celebrated by artists, curators and designers alike.
Arts/Industry Walking Tour Map and Guide
Stroll through the Village of Kohler, Wisconsin, and explore extraordinary works created in the Kohler Pottery and Foundry by Arts/Industry resident artists.
Arts/Industry Featured Artists
Get to Know Our Arts/Industry Alumni
Explore our video library of featured Arts/Industry alumni and learn firsthand about their experiences creating in our working factory.
Kohler MakerSpace
Launched in 2023, Kohler MakerSpace offers artists and designers the unique opportunity to collaborate with skilled associates, experiment with industrial materials, expand on an existing body of work, or create a large-scale commission.
Kohler MakerSpace: David Franklin
Sculptor David Franklin, inaugural Kohler MakerSpace resident, shares his experience of working in the Kohler Pottery to create the installation “The Once and Forever Lake Michigan,” commissioned for Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium.
David Franklin’s Fish Factory
Arts/Industry alumnus David Franklin’s journey as a sculptor continues to intersect with Kohler in meaningful ways. The first Kohler MakerSpace resident, Franklin returned to make 1600 ceramic fish, now suspended together in a dynamic, awe-inspiring installation.
Artist Editions®
Artist Editions products are inspired by the Arts/Industry residency program and came to life in 1983. Products begin with intensive study of design elements and production techniques drawn from influences around the world. From there, artisans handcraft each Artist Editions product using premium materials and meticulous processes to create striking worksof functional art for the home.
Derring® Bathroom Sink
18.02 by Janet Echelman Bathroom Sink
Botanical Study™ Bathroom Sink
The Foundation of a Lasting Legacy
Ruth DeYoung Kohler II (1941–2020)
Long-tenured director of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Ruth DeYoung Kohler II was a tireless champion of the international arts community. She believed passionately that the arts, in all its iterations, reveal who we are as a people: past, present, and future.
Herbert Vollrath Kohler, Jr. (1939–2022)
Kohler Co. Executive Chairman Herbert Vollrath Kohler, Jr. was admired by many as a dynamic leader, independent-minded entrepreneur, courageous innovator, and passionate creative.