A long time friend in the community, the Krasl Art Center, is back on a limited basis and bears a welcoming new look thanks to a grant awarded in 2020 by the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs.
The Krasl reopens to the public today, Friday, January 15th, and will remain open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 11 AM until 5 PM for the time being.
Returning and new guests have the opportunity to explore Artists as Influencers: Pathways in Glass and Shelter in Place in the artlab until January 24th. You can also join the Krasl for the next exhibitions, KAC Members’ Show: Inspired By… in the main galleries & local ceramist and KAC teaching artist Jennifer Zona in the artlab from January 30th to March 28th. Those interested can visit http://krasl.org for more information and how to apply to be part of the exhibition and register for free programs.
Krasl Art Center has also been awarded a 2021 grant of $24,000 from MCACA. That grant was awarded through the association’s peer review process and was one of 597 applications to compete for fiscal year 2021 funding. The grant supports Krasl Art Center’s general operations.
Organizations receiving a MCACA grant award are required to match those funds with other public and private dollars. Krasl Art Center’s matching dollars include individual donations and corporate sponsorships.
The peer review process allows for each grant application to be competitively considered by a panel of in-state and out-of-state arts and culture professionals. That ensures the taxpayers, who support the project through legislative appropriations, and all other visitors or residents in Michigan will have access to the highest quality arts and cultural experiences.
As the Krasl reopens, you will experience updates in the lobby and a new community lounge that were made possible by the 2020 grant. Using that grant, they were able to source many items locally through Matt Luxem at Metro Business Interiors in downtown Benton Harbor. When not shopping locally, the center chose items from organizations that support environmentally sustainable practices.
The Krasl’s Community Lounge is a multipurpose space featuring flexible furniture that allows for visitors to comfortably work remotely, participate in a workshop, or meet with friends. For such a multi-use space, organizers also needed art supply storage in the tables to easily adjust the room for any kind of activity. With the support from MCACA, Krasl Art Center officials purchased mobile tables (complete with built-in storage and display racks) and chairs from Scandinivian Spaces, and adjustable-height, custom-built bistro tables for small groups and independent work from the Michigan-based company, Enwork.
With the new expectations surrounding COVID-19, the Krasl Art Center’s original plans to create quiet, personal spaces for the community became even more important. The team started rethinking how they use spaces after the pandemic, and reassessed whether or not the original plans for the community lounge would be accessible. They then reached out to the Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium for recommendations. Through their discussions, the Krasl found new seating designed specifically for support, cleanliness and durability. New sofas have arms that double as a work surface, making them a perfect addition to the art center, and a comfortable new lounge chair with matching table and ottomans mimics the shapes and folds of the Richard Hunt sculpture, Rising Crossing Tides, outside. 
New black shelves in The Shop at the Krasl were intentionally chosen to highlight rather than distract from artwork for sale by regional artists. The shelves easily convert between displaying 3D and 2D art. The company that provided the shelves has a commitment to “preserving the environment and…breathing new life into reclaimed materials.”
The Krasl Art Center is a nonprofit art museum and learning center that enriches the lives of people living in or visiting Southwest Michigan by delivering enlightening art experiences through diverse education opportunities, meaningful events, and high quality exhibits and collections. Their mission is to inspire meaningful change and strengthen community through the visual arts.
