Arts/Industry Walking Tour

"Life without labor is guilt. Labor without art is brutality." - John Ruskin

Here in the Village of Kohler, the site of Kohler Co. headquarters, artistic expression is woven into the landscape. Since its inception 150 years ago, the company has operated on the belief that artistry—provocative and meaningful—is as essential to our success as innovative design and quality materials. Working to create a connection between these worlds of art and industry, the company collaborated with the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in 1974 to launch the Arts/Industry artist residency program. Unparalleled in reputation, the residency has hosted more than 500 artists from over 25 countries. The artists work side by side with Kohler associates and actively engage the factory’s pottery, foundry, enamel, and plating facilities.

Inspiring artists to think differently about their craft while sparking the imagination of Kohler associates, Arts/Industry celebrates the shared values that are intrinsic to all forms of material production. Over the years this unique interplay between industrial production and artistic invention has produced a bountiful and seemingly endless collection of outstanding artworks. The Arts/Industry Walking Tour provides an opportunity to explore firsthand the abundant creativity that has emerged from this culturally influential collaboration. Exhibiting playful motifs or monumental abstraction, the sculptures will activate your imagination and pique your curiosity.