SOME LOVE (AND THANKS) TO OUR VISITING ARTISTS! 

November 20, 2020 

Since right now visiting one another across town, let alone across country, is a big NO, we’ve been thinking about the 25+ visiting artists that have exhibited and taught in our space over the years. Of course, we knew they brought knowledge and vitality to us and the community, but we didn’t realize how much we would miss them until their energy was absent.

Helen Hiebert installing work at KBAC in 2016

The variety of visual artists that have joined us since 2005 represent all the disciplines we focus on in our educational efforts including papermaking, printmaking, letterpress, and the book. Their personalities and work vary from ebullient to (dare we say it?) bookish, and the strength of the work they are creating is beyond compare. We all benefit from this exposure and interaction with artists that come from beyond the city limits because their experiences and resulting work can be so different from our own.  

Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr teaching letterpress at the KBAC

Our visiting artists have brought people to downtown Kalamazoo for a new experience. They have introduced new skills to adult students. They’ve reminded our interns to be the best they can be and that yes, they can make a living as an artist. They have encouraged us to look at things differently, and most importantly they inspire us!

John McKaig printing in our studio in 2013

We frequently collaborate with Western Michigan University’s Department of Special Collections to bring in some of the visiting artists. This usually means exhibitions here in our gallery as well as at Waldo Library on WMU’s campus, a first-rate workshop or two, and a lecture open to students and the community at no charge. We’ve also formed alliances with other book arts centers in order to connect with professional artists that are making great work that needs to be seen.

Chad Andrews installing work in 2011

As we continue to work on online educational programing, finish up with this semester’s interns, and create products for the website shop and studio store, we must admit it doesn’t feel the same right now. We look forward to a time when we can invite talented visiting artists from around the world! In the meantime, we’re proud of our online 15th Anniversary Exhibition showcasing our artist friends and happy to recall their visits over the years. Please check out their work and support them (links to their work are on our site). We appreciate them and know you will too!

Jeff, Katie and Lorrie

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