Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

In 1924, the Kalamazoo Chapter of the American Federation of the Arts incorporated as the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts to present classes and establish legal responsibility for the ownership of art objects and the solicitation of funds. The mission of these active artists and art patrons was to encourage the creation and appreciation of art. Small budgets and membership numbers characterized the early years. Staffed primarily with volunteers, the KIA developed distinguished exhibitions and art classes while located in a house loaned by the Kalamazoo Board of Education.

In 1931, the KIA hired its first full-time director and began offering art classes to both children and adults. In 1947 the KIA gained a permanent home when it purchased and a renovated a Victorian mansion at 421 West South Street. In the 1930s and 40s, distinguished guest lecturers such as Diego Rivera, Thomas Hart Benton, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Le Corbusier challenged and informed local audiences about the contemporary art world. An eclectic schedule of exhibitions included work by Picasso and Klee, Japanese prints and ceramics, African Art, Dutch old masters, and even an international kite collection that became a traveling exhibition. Annual juried competitions and exhibitions by local artists and students helped promote and encourage both new and established artists.

In 1951, the KIA launched the Kalamazoo Art Fair to provide an opportunity for local artists to exhibit and sell their work. Held annually on the first weekend in June, Art Fair has grown into a juried fair that attracts artists from across the United States and Canada and a crowd of over 40,000.

In 1961, the KIA built a new facility, the Gilmore Art Center at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts at its current location. The Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill design was based on architect Mies vander Rohe's plan for a museum in a small city, and illustrated the International style: glass walls, slab construction, exposed columns. With new exhibition areas and storage space, the KIA was able to actively build its collection for the first time. The building included exhibitions galleries, an art library, auditorium, sculpture garden, studio classrooms, and office space as well. In 1988, the KIA developed a new logo, and became known simply as the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.

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