Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

Dr. Leihua Weng will introduce the women established in Captive Beauties. She will provide context for the activities the women in the paintings are engaged in, particularly with the knowledge of the social and cultural norms of the lives of women and gender practices in Late Imperial China. This talk also discusses how some gender […]

Dr. Liu Yang, Chair of Asian Art and Curator of Chinese Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, is the organizing curator of Captive Beauties: Depictions of Women in Late Imperial China, Dr. Liu will share insights into the key ideas behind the exhibition such as why artists chose to depict the lives of women […]

Warrior Lawyers: Defenders of Sacred Justice (2021) is a one-hour PBS documentary that is particularly timely and relevant given our country's current reckoning with racial inequity and institutional racism. The program focuses on the stories of Native American Lawyers, Tribal Judges, and their colleagues who work with Native Nations and their citizens to achieve Sacred […]

The Mask You Live In follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity. Pressured by the media, their peer group, and even the adults in their lives, the protagonists confront messages encouraging them to disconnect from their emotions, devalue authentic friendships, objectify and […]

In celebration of the Kalamazoo Public Library’s 150th anniversary, Local History Librarian Ryan Gage will reveal the deep history between the library and the Kalamazoo Institute of the Arts, during a two-decade span from the late 1920s to 1947, when the library, the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, and the Kalamazoo Institute of the Arts all operated […]

From the publisher: Pretty Boys unearths diverse and surprising beauty icons who have redefined what masculinity and gender expression look like throughout history, to empower us to live and look our truths. From Frank Ocean’s skin-care routine to Clark Gable’s perfectly styled hair, Rami Malek’s subtle eyeliner to a face beat to the gods à […]

Author, professor, and activist Dr. Megan K. Maas will guide us through the history of gendered toys and how play with dolls can be connected to some of the relationships and gendered violence that occurs today. Blue for boys and pink for girls was not always the case. Dr. Maas will take us through the […]

Artist and barber Faisal Abdu’Allah will perform a Live Salon, inviting members of the audience to have their hair cut while discussing key issues of his work, on view in Unmasking Masculinity for the 21st Century. Reflecting on his own life experiences and the relationship between being both an artist and a barber, Abdu’Allah will […]

Myths, stereotypes and misinformation are often at the heart of discrimination, harassment and violence against LGBTQ+ individuals. Tracy Hall, Executive Director at OutFront Kalamazoo, will share how increased knowledge and understanding about the LGBTQ+ community is often the first step in reducing and eliminating discrimination. Tracy Hall has been part of OutFront Kalamazoo in a […]

Ghosts don’t have to be spooky — they can be nice or your friend. Arty will read There’s a Ghost in this House by Oliver Jeffers, create a ghost-like artwork […]

Ghosts don’t have to be spooky — they can be nice or your friend. Arty will read There’s a Ghost in this House by Oliver Jeffers, create a ghost-like artwork […]

Join Richard Lou, whose work is featured in Unmasking Masculinity, Kalamazoo-based sculptor Brent Harris, and moderator Michael Stone-Richards for an examination of the important role that the land plays in […]