KIA Offers Free Admission to Help Kalamazoo Heal

As a way to share the healing power of art in the aftermath of the February 20 shootings in Kalamazoo County, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts has announced free admission to the museum starting immediately.

"We want to open our doors to share the peace and beauty of the museum," says Executive Director Belinda Tate. "We invite visits by those who are touched personally by this tragedy, and those who are -- as we are -- reeling from this kind of violence happening in our beloved Kalamazoo."

"We want people to know we support the community during this difficult time, and to understand how art can enhance well-being. We offer the art museum as a respite space for reflection, nourishment, and quality time with family and friends."

Free admission continues through February. The museum is open Tuesday-Wednesday, 11 am- 5 pm; Thursday-Friday, 11 am-8 pm; Saturday, 11 am-5 pm, and Sunday, noon-5 pm. For information, see kiarts.org, or phone (269) 349-7775.

Museum admission is regularly $5 for adults, $2 for students, and free for youth 12 and under, active military personnel and their families, and KIA members.

Exhibitions on view:
Jiha Moon: Double Welcome, Most Everyone's Mad Here
Jiha Moon's lively, uplifting exhibition incorporates elements from cultures worldwide to explore the multifaceted nature of global identity, using emojis, social media logos, characters from online games alongside Asian tigers, dragons, and gods to unite the familiar and the foreign.

Suspended! Sculpture from ArtPrize 2015 exhibits Joel S. Allen's whimsical, hand-wrapped fiber pendants; Russell Prather's intriguingly aligned, painted sheets of polyester film; and Irene LaVon Walker's airy, dreamlike garment forms.

This week's programs:
Tuesday, February 23: ARTbreak
Artist Charles Sheeler, one of the founders of American modernism and one of the master photographers of the 20th century, is the subject of a talk by KIA docent and amateur photographer Jack Urban.

Thursday, 6:30 pm, guest speaker
Meet Dr. Nii Quarcoopome, Curator of African Art with the Detroit Institute of Arts, who will speak on Royal Gold: Power & Politics at 6:30 pm, with a reception to follow.

Sunday, February 28, 2 pm: Public tour
Discuss and explore with one of our guides the vibrantColour Correction: British and American Screenprints 1967-75