Community Calendar

Join us for an evening of creativity, connection, and inspiration! Educators of all grade levels and subject areas are invited to enjoy a free night at the KIA. Explore museum resources for your students, engage in fun gallery activities, create art, and enjoy food and drinks while connecting with colleagues. The gallery shop will be open and raffle prizes will be drawn throughout the evening.

Registration is strongly encouraged.

This event is made possible by generous support from PNC Foundation.

Get ready for some glitz and glamour! Art Detectives will read a book about a stylish vampire and his passion for fashion before exploring Statement Pieces: Fashioning the Self & Society. We'll discover amazing outfits created by famous designers alongside artworks from the KIA's permanent collection. We'll also create a fashion inspired art project to take home.

Statement Pieces is organized in conjunction with Barrett Barrera Projects. Made possible by generous support from Diane & Randy Eberts and Heritage Community of Kalamazoo.

This event is made possible by generous support from PNC Foundation.

For more than 1,000 years, vessels for the preparation and consumption of whisked, powdered tea have ranked among the world's most highly prized ceramics. With roots in China, these objects took on new meanings in Japan through chadō, the Way of Tea, shaped significantly by the Zen Buddhist idea that mundane actions can become paths toward self-cultivation. During this lecture, Dr. Meghen Jones will explore how—through materials, processes, and forms—Japan's leading ceramists carry forward the Way of Tea.

Meghen Jones is Professor of Art History at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, where her research centers on Japanese and global ceramics histories, modernity, and cultural production. Recent publications include the edited and co-edited volumes Path of the Teabowl, Ceramics and Modernity in Japan, and the forthcoming A Global History of Japanese Ceramics. In 2024 she received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship.

Drawn from the renowned collection of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz, Chanoyu: Modern Tea Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection brings together a selection of Japanese tea bowls (chawan) and water jars (mizusashi) that embody the quiet power and refined sensibility of the tea ceremony and Japanese aesthetics.

"Get ready for some fashion fun! In November, our youngest art lovers can explore Statement Pieces: Fashioning the Self & Society. Come and see how works from the permanent collection have been paired with outfits by world famous designers. This relaxed gallery experience is designed especially for young children and their caregivers.

Statement Pieces is organized in conjunction with Barrett Barrera Projects. Made possible by generous support from Diane & Randy Eberts and Heritage Community of Kalamazoo."

The 53rd annual Holiday Art Sale at the KIA will feature artworks from 160+ faculty and students of the Kirk Newman Art School.

• Thursday, December 3, 4–8pm: Members’ Night
• Friday, December 4, 4–8pm: Open to the Public
• Saturday, December 5, 9am–3pm: Open to the Public

This unique, three-day shopping experience will help you find the perfect gift for your loved ones this holiday season, and help support both area artists and KNAS programs. You’ll find wearable fiber art and jewelry pieces; handmade original prints, photos, and paintings; functional and decorative home goods; cards, stationary and holiday ornaments; decorative glass, sculpture, ceramics, and more!

Made possible by generous support from StoryPoint Oshtemo.

The 53rd annual Holiday Art Sale at the KIA will feature artworks from 160+ faculty and students of the Kirk Newman Art School.

• Thursday, December 3, 4–8pm: Members’ Night
• Friday, December 4, 4–8pm: Open to the Public
• Saturday, December 5, 9am–3pm: Open to the Public

This unique, three-day shopping experience will help you find the perfect gift for your loved ones this holiday season, and help support both area artists and KNAS programs. You’ll find wearable fiber art and jewelry pieces; handmade original prints, photos, and paintings; functional and decorative home goods; cards, stationary and holiday ornaments; decorative glass, sculpture, ceramics, and more!

Made possible by generous support from StoryPoint Oshtemo.

Free admission to the Fair and trails all day!

Get ready for the Kalamazoo Nature Center’s Buy Local Art & Gift Fair with unique booths from top local artisans. The quality and variety of work, friendly artists, and festive atmosphere have made this an annual tradition you don’t want to miss! Find one-of-a-kind, creative gifts for everyone on your holiday list. If you work up an appetite, Grampa’s Pasties is serving up delicious breakfast and lunch options or frozen varieties to go. Enter the Buy Local Raffle for a chance to win gift baskets filled by our talented artists and vendors. All raffle proceeds support KNC.

How do elements of both fashion and fine art come together to tell a story? How can choices in color, shape, texture, and more serve as commentary on personal, social, and cultural identities and values? Join in the conversation as we discuss select fashion pieces and artworks featured in the Statement Pieces exhibition.

Statement Pieces is organized in conjunction with Barrett Barrera Projects. Made possible by generous support from Diane & Randy Eberts and Heritage Community of Kalamazoo.

It might be gray outside, but the KIA is bursting with color. Join us for Art Detectives as we read about a girl named Swatch who loves color and wants to collect them all. We'll also explore the artworks in the permanent collection to see what colors we can find before creating a colorful masterpiece to take home.

This program is made possible by generous support from PNC Foundation.