Art Preserve of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center

Imagine a place where the boundaries between art and everyday life blur, transforming ordinary objects into fantastical worlds. The Art Preserve of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center is the world's first museum center dedicated entirely to preserving and exhibiting "art environments" created by self-taught artists. Located in the picturesque city of Sheboygan, this facility is part of the cultural heritage of the USA and a true discovery for fans of unconventional creativity.

The museum building itself is a work of architectural art: it is literally "built into" the hill and harmonizes with the surrounding natural landscape. The three-story space of over 5,000 m² is filled with light and air, while the vertical beams of the facade resemble tree trunks, creating a sense of an organic extension of the forest.

Inside, treasures are kept—more than 25,000 works by thirty unique authors. This is not just an exhibition of paintings, but entire fragments of lives: recreated courtyards, rooms, and even houses that artists transformed into personal altars of art using concrete, scrap metal, glitter, and the most unexpected materials.

To clarify visit details or book group tours, you can use the institution's official contact information.

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Visitors to the Art Preserve get a unique opportunity to take a journey through the inner worlds of creators. Here, you can peek into a house where every inch is covered in dazzling glitter or explore whimsical sculpture complexes to which their creators attributed healing properties. One of the most powerful impressions is left by the Ray Yoshida collection—an intimate display of items from his personal home, revealing the subtle psychology of a passionate collector.

A special pride of the museum is the visible storage format. Unlike traditional museums, where most of the collection is hidden in backrooms, thousands of exhibits here are displayed on open shelves. This allows guests to appreciate the true scale of the collection and see even those items that are not currently part of the main thematic exhibition.

Strolling between floors, you can observe how the character of the works changes: from massive concrete figures intended for outdoor installation to fragile installations made of ephemeral materials. This place is ideal for those seeking inspiration in sincere and non-academic art.

Reaching this unique art space located at 3636 Lower Falls Rd is most convenient by car. The site is located just a few miles from the city center and major highways I-43 and WI-42/57. Ample free parking is provided for visitors on-site.

If you prefer public transportation, you can use the Sheboygan Transit Connect bus network, which will take you to the nearest stops, from where you can walk or take a taxi to the museum. The trip from the city center takes very little time.

For travelers arriving from other regions via Milwaukee Mitchell Airport (MKE), the best option is to rent a car. The drive to the museum takes about 1.5 hours along Wisconsin's scenic roads.

The history of this place is inextricably linked with the name of Ruth DeYoung Kohler II, who dedicated her life to preserving the works of self-taught artists. It all began in 1967 with her chance visit to the Rock Garden tavern, where she was struck by the vast number of concrete sculptures by Fred Smith. This event served as the catalyst for creating a foundation to save such unique objects.

Over the decades, the JMKAC collection grew rapidly, adding thousands of works—from scrap metal installations to entire recreated interiors. Ruth Kohler believed that these "art environments" deserved to be seen in their full scale, rather than being stored in closed crates.

The culmination of this long-term work was the opening of the Art Preserve in 2021. Unfortunately, the project's visionary passed away a year before its completion, but the building stands as her majestic monument, bringing together more than 25,000 exhibits from thirty different authors under one roof.

To leisurely explore all three floors of the exhibition, including the "visible storage" and detailed interior recreations, it is recommended to set aside 2 to 3 hours. This time is enough to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of each presented "universe" and examine the fine details of the art objects.

If you plan to study the Ray Yoshida collection in detail or peek into every corner of the storage vaults, your visit could easily take half a day. Keep in mind that the museum space encourages long contemplation and reflection.

The museum follows a convenient schedule, but it is worth noting the days off before your visit. Usually, Monday is a non-working day. From Tuesday to Friday, the doors are open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, while on Thursdays the museum often stays open late—until 8:00 PM. On weekends (Saturday and Sunday), visits are possible from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Since the schedule may change on holidays or due to special events, we strongly recommend checking the current operating hours on the official website before your trip.

A visit to the museum can be complemented by a walk around the surrounding area, which offers both natural beauty and interesting historical markers. Exploring this part of the state will help you better feel the local flavor and history of the region.

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