John Michael Kohler Arts Center
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is a Sheboygan, Wisconsin-based nonprofit operating two free-admission campuses — the Arts Center and the Art Preserve (world's first museum of artist-built environments, 25,000+ works) — serving the public, K-12 schools, professional artists via a 50-plus-year Kohler Co. residency, and community programs including memory-loss and preschool offerings.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersSheboygan, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What John Michael Kohler Arts Center does
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 1967 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of self-taught and contemporary artists. It operates two physical campuses: the downtown Arts Center (eight galleries, two performance spaces, a cafe, museum shop, and drop-in art-making studio) and the Art Preserve, a 56,000-sq.-ft., three-level facility opened in June 2021 that is the world's first museum dedicated entirely to artist-built environments and houses more than 25,000 works by over 30 artists. Both campuses are free and open to the public. Signature programs include the Arts/Industry residency — a 50-plus-year collaboration with Kohler Co. giving up to 12 artists per year access to industrial casting, enameling, iron, brass, and plating facilities — as well as the Levitt AMP free summer concert series, SPARK! for adults with memory loss, K-12 school tours within a 75-mile radius, an art-based preschool, and Arts Day Camp.
Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit mix: memberships and charitable donations, foundation and government grants (Kohler Foundation, Kohler Trust, Frederic Cornell Kohler Charitable Trust, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Lenore G. Tawney Foundation, Mellon, Teiger, Wisconsin Arts Board, NEA), on-site cafe and museum shop retail, modest school program fees ($2-$6 per student), and summer camp fees ($324 member / $405 public). Go-to-market is event- and community-led: digital channels (jmkac.org, Bloomberg Connects app, social), a press room, free public events, school partnerships, and volunteer engagement. The organization has 51-100 employees (more than 100 across all functions), a dedicated executive team led by Executive Director Amy Horst, and is governed by an independent board with no parent company.
JMKAC also stewards off-site artist environments, including the Mary Nohl Art Environment in Fox Point (acquired 2012 via Kohler Foundation) and the Eugene Von Bruenchenhein site in West Allis (works acquired 2017), and operates a digital guide via the Bloomberg Connects app with multilingual and accessibility features. The organization received the 2023 Governor's Tourism Award for Arts, Culture & Heritage.
John Michael Kohler Arts Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- John Michael Kohler Arts Center
- Legal name
- John Michael Kohler Arts Center
- Website
- https://jmkac.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is a Sheboygan, Wisconsin-based nonprofit operating two free-admission campuses — the Arts Center and the Art Preserve (world's first museum of artist-built environments, 25,000+ works) — serving the public, K-12 schools, professional artists via a 50-plus-year Kohler Co. residency, and community programs including memory-loss and preschool offerings.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
John Michael Kohler Arts Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Art Museum & Cultural Center
- NAICS
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (71211), Museums (712110), Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)
Keywords
Where John Michael Kohler Arts Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sheboygan
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
John Michael Kohler Arts Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Memberships and Donations: The organization generates revenue through membership programs and charitable donations. Members receive benefits including free JMKAC membership, free and discounted tickets to events and performances, CAFE and SHOP discounts, and curator-led exhibition tours.
- Cafe and Museum Shop Revenue: The Arts Center operates a cafe and museum shop on-site, generating revenue from food service and retail merchandise sales.
- Foundation and Government Grants: The organization receives significant funding from foundations including Kohler Foundation, Inc., Kohler Trust for Arts and Education, Frederic Cornell Kohler Charitable Trust, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, and government sources including Wisconsin Arts Board and National Endowment for the Arts. In 2022, received $1 million endowment grant from Lenore G. Tawney Foundation.
- School Program Fees: School tours and workshops generate modest revenue: $6 per student for tour + workshop, $2 per student for tour only. Field trip funding covers fees for qualifying schools.
- Summer Camp Fees: Arts Day Camp for ages 7-13 charges $405 for public and $324 for members for the two-week session. Limited scholarships are available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | School Tour + Workshop: $6 per student |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | School Tour Only: $2 per student |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Arts Day Camp - Public: $405 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Arts Day Camp - Members: $324 |
| Freemium | Monthly | General Admission: Free |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
John Michael Kohler Arts Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) is a nonprofit arts organization that operates a free-admission contemporary art museum (Arts Center) and the world's only museum dedicated to artist-built environments (Art Preserve), housing more than 25,000 works. It runs the long-running Arts/Industry artist residency program in collaboration with Kohler Co., exhibitions, performances, school tours, SPARK! memory-care program, summer camp, preschool, and free community concerts.
Product overview
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) is a nonprofit arts organization offering a diverse portfolio of programs and facilities centered around self-taught and contemporary art. The core offerings include the main Arts Center in downtown Sheboygan with eight galleries and performance spaces, and the Art Preserve (opened 2021), the world's first museum dedicated entirely to artist-built environments. Key programs include the Arts/Industry Residency Program (collaboration with Kohler Co. since 1974), the free Levitt AMP Sheboygan Music Series, SPARK! memory loss program, school tours, and Arts Day Camp. The Digital Guide through Bloomberg Connects provides mobile access to exhibitions. Additional offerings include Artist-Designed Washrooms, the Midsummer Festival of the Arts, Open Ceramics Studio, and an Art-Based Preschool. The Arts Center and Art Preserve are free and open to the public.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Arts/Industry: Renowned residency program connecting artists with the resources, technology, and materials of Kohler Co.
- Art Preserve
- Levitt AMP Sheboygan Music Series
- SPARK!
- James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden
Products and services
- John Michael Kohler Arts Center (Arts Center) The main Arts Center facility in downtown Sheboygan, Wisconsin, featuring eight galleries, two performance spaces, a café, a museum shop, and a drop-in art-making studio. Hosts approximately twelve original exhibitions annually of self-taught and contemporary artists. Free admission.
- Art Preserve The world's first museum dedicated entirely to artist-built environments. A 56,000-sq.-ft., three-level facility in Sheboygan holding more than 25,000 works, including complete and partial environments by 30+ vernacular, self-taught, and academically trained artists. Free admission.
- Arts/Industry Residency Program A renowned three-month artist residency program connecting artists with the resources, technology, and materials of Kohler Co. Up to twelve artists are selected annually for residencies in Pottery or Foundry areas, with four in residence at a time. Program has run continuously since 1974.
- Levitt AMP Sheboygan Music Series Free weekly summer concert series featuring a genre-spanning lineup of live performances with food trucks, beverage tent, and art-making activities for all ages. Held at City Green in Sheboygan.
- SPARK!
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 100 employees across operations
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use John Michael Kohler Arts Center
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
John Michael Kohler Arts Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature4 records
John Michael Kohler Arts Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.
- Kohler Co.coreArts/Industry is a collaboration between JMKAC and Kohler Co., administered by JMKAC and hosted at Kohler Co.'s Kohler, Wisconsin, campus. The program has been connecting artists with the resources, technology, and materials of Kohler Co. for over 50 years. Artists work in the Pottery and Foundry areas of the factory, creating an unusual ongoing collaboration between art and industry.
- Acuity, Sargento, WOMT-98.9majorPresenting sponsors of Levitt AMP Sheboygan Summer Music Series.
- City of SheboygansupportingContributing sponsor of Levitt AMP Sheboygan Music Series.
- Bloomberg ConnectssupportingDigital guide platform partnership providing free app for exploring JMKAC exhibitions and collections with multimedia content and accessibility features.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
John Michael Kohler Arts Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Menil Collection: Houston-based free-admission private art museum with deep collection, curatorial reputation, and education programming — broadly comparable to JMKAC in free-admission model and curatorial depth, though at a larger scale and different curatorial niche.
- Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art: Walmart-endowed large free-admission American art museum in Bentonville, AR — comparable to JMKAC in its free-admission model, foundation funding strategy (Walton Family Foundation), education programming, and substantial regional campus footprint.
- Institute of Contemporary Art Boston: Boston waterfront museum of contemporary art with rotating exhibitions and education programming — broadly comparable to JMKAC's contemporary-art curatorial focus and free/subsidized visitor programming at nonprofit scale.
Direct peers
- MASS MoCA: Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is a mid-size contemporary art museum comparable to JMKAC in scale and mission: a converted/expanded industrial campus hosting rotating exhibitions of contemporary and self-taught-influenced artists, with artist residencies and free/low-cost visitor programming.
- Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis: St. Louis-based free-admission nonprofit contemporary art museum with focus on living artists and education — directly comparable to JMKAC in free admission, contemporary artist focus, and Midwest nonprofit scale.
- American Folk Art Museum: New York museum focused on self-taught and folk art, directly comparable to JMKAC's mission to promote understanding of self-taught and contemporary artists, with comparable curatorial depth in outsider/vernacular traditions.
- Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art: Chicago-based nonprofit museum dedicated to outsider and self-taught art — the closest direct category peer to JMKAC's vernacular and artist-built environment focus, with comparable collection scale, educational programming, and mission-driven model.
- Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum: Small Connecticut nonprofit museum of contemporary art with exhibitions-only programmatic model — directly comparable to JMKAC in size, nonprofit structure, and curatorial focus on living artists and thematic exhibitions.
Emerging players
- Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts: Omaha-based nonprofit operating a competitive artist-in-residence program and exhibitions — closely comparable to JMKAC's Arts/Industry residency model, although without the industrial-manufacturer partnership element that makes JMKAC distinctive.
Regional players
- Wexner Center for the Arts: Columbus, Ohio contemporary arts center with university affiliation, residency programs, and free/subsidized exhibitions — comparable to JMKAC in residency offerings and contemporary art focus, though university-tied rather than community-anchored.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
John Michael Kohler Arts Center social profiles
Digital presenceJohn Michael Kohler Arts Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
John Michael Kohler Arts Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
John Michael Kohler Arts Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
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John Michael Kohler Arts Center M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about John Michael Kohler Arts Center
What does John Michael Kohler Arts Center do?
John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) is a nonprofit arts organization that operates a free-admission contemporary art museum (Arts Center) and the world's only museum dedicated to artist-built environments (Art Preserve), housing more than 25,000 works. It runs the long-running Arts/Industry artist residency program in collaboration with Kohler Co., exhibitions, performances, school tours, SPARK! memory-care program, summer camp, preschool, and free community concerts.
Is John Michael Kohler Arts Center a public or private company?
John Michael Kohler Arts Center is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was John Michael Kohler Arts Center founded?
John Michael Kohler Arts Center was founded in 1967. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is John Michael Kohler Arts Center based?
John Michael Kohler Arts Center is headquartered in Sheboygan, United States, in the North America region.
How does John Michael Kohler Arts Center make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Memberships and Donations are the primary driver. The others are cafe and Museum Shop Revenue, foundation and Government Grants, school Program Fees and summer Camp Fees.
Who are John Michael Kohler Arts Center's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The Menil Collection, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Institute of Contemporary Art Boston. Direct peers are MASS MoCA, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, American Folk Art Museum, Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art and Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts is listed as an emerging player. Wexner Center for the Arts is listed as a regional player.
Does John Michael Kohler Arts Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
What industry is John Michael Kohler Arts Center in?
John Michael Kohler Arts Center's product category is Art Museum & Cultural Center. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAJ, Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions. Its NAICS code is 7121.