THE WASHROOMS
(left to right) The Women’s Room by Cynthia Consentino; The Social History of Architecture by Matt Nolen; Sheboygan Men’s Room by Ann Agee
Each year, between 16 and 22 artists are selected from hundreds of applicants to spend two to six months working in Kohler Co.‘s Iron and Brass Foundries, Pottery, and Enamel Shop. These artists have the privilege of learning new processes and experimenting with materials unavailable to them in non–industrial settings while working side-by-side with industrial craftsmen and women with years of hands-on material expertise. Six washrooms were the first commissioned works undertaken by the Arts Center as part of a 1999 expansion, and an additional washroom was commissioned in 2004. With the organization‘s focus on ever-changing exhibitions and performances, most of the facility serves as a blank canvas for both visual and performing arts works. The washrooms were one of the few public spaces where permanently installed works of art would be considered, serving to uphold the Arts Center‘s philosophy that art can enliven, enrich, and inform every facet of our everyday lives. The artists selected for these commissions were emerging and mid career artists who had not previously had the opportunity to create major public works. Community members from factory associates to preschool children informed the design, content, and fabrication of these works. Artists
Curated by Beth Lipman, Arts/Industry Coordinator Related Programs |