Arts/Industry Residency
Kohler Company
Since 1974, the Kohler Company, in conjunction with the John Michael Kohler Arts Center has offered the Arts/Industry Residency at their home plant in Kohler, WI. There are usually four Artists In Residence at one time, two in the iron foundry and two in the pottery, and residencies generally last two to four months. The artists are given unrestricted access to all of the processes, materials/tools and expertise available within the Kohler factory.
In 1999, I was a Resident in the iron foundry for three months. The experience was thrilling, overwhelming and utterly draining. The pace of production in the huge iron foundry along with the noise, heat, filth and ever-present danger due to the amount of machinery and motlen iron in motion at all times, day and night, is quite a contrast to working alone in one's studio.
