KOHLER ART PRESERVE

 Recently, friends tipped me off to a new art museum, the Art Preserve of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.  The museum is located just outside of Sheboygan, only about 40 minutes north of my home.  It opened a year ago and is dedicated to the preservation of bodies of work of folk artists.  The museum is housed in a new, architecturally interesting building and is home to the art of about 25 artists.  It is terrific.

It is hard to define what is meant by folk art.  Generally, folk artists do not have formal training and their art is characterized by a certain primitiveness in which perspective or proportions may be distorted.  Of course, many of the Impressionists might be described as folk artists, say, for example, Van Gogh.  But no one would classify his art as "folk."  So perhaps it is that folk artists are not intent on commercial success.  Their art is more a function of a need to create than an interest in making money from the art.  Perhaps the most that can be said is that you know folk art when you see it.

First, the building, which was completed in June 2021. 

A little odd, but overall more attractive than this photo might indicate.  Oh, and the restrooms--after all this is a Kohler facility.

The museum houses the works of about 25 artists and is organized by artist rather than by subject matter, medium, or style.  Here is some of it.

One of the artists featured is Mary Nohl, a Milwaukee artist who died in 2001.  She was eccentric, to say the least, and had placed many of her sculptures in her yard.  But she also produced wall art, which I found interesting.

I highly recommend that you pay this place a visit.  Besides, there is no admission fee, though they are happy to receive your donations.

John