Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Art Preserve of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center

Designing visible storage solutions for a collection of artist-built environments required foresight, teamwork, and attention to detail.

Reflecting Artists’ Environments

Storing and displaying artist-built environments present unique challenges. “These are instances where artists go beyond one-off pieces to create large-scale environments that they intend to be experienced as a whole rather than piecemeal,” said Sam Gappmayer, director of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. The collection includes a house covered in glitter, a complex work of sculpture that the artist believed had healing properties, and an artist’s yard that was populated by sculptures made out of concrete and found objects.

Many of the objects now featured at the Art Preserve were formerly stored in the John Michael Kohler Art Center’s underground storage facility and in off-site warehouses. The purpose of the Art Preserve was to consolidate these works under one roof, make them more accessible, and display them in a way that would give scholars and casual visitors a more complete sense of the environments created by the artists.

artist built environment collection with Spacesaver storage solutions

Visible Storage Creates an Immersive Environment while also Protecting Collections

Visible Storage for Unique Museum Collections

The design team wanted the building itself to reflect the artists’ creativity. The building is constructed of materials that many of the artists use in their work, like stone, wood, and concrete, and sculptural timbers at the building’s entrance evoke a woodland setting.

These themes continue in the building’s interior. “We didn’t want something boxy or orthogonal,” Gappmayer said. “These are often artists who take non-traditional paths, so there aren’t many 90-degree corners inside.” Each artist’s work is presented in a “tableau,” or a distinct, immersive setting that reflects their environment.

The design team worked with Spacesaver’s engineers to design creative visible storage solutions throughout the facility.

Art racks form “walls” to create an immersive experience and allow staff to instantly change out works on exhibit.

A small compactor system is designed to accommodate future acquisitions.

"I’ve always had respect for the product Spacesaver makes and the brand is solid, with a good reputation. We were able to work with Spacesaver to create solutions that reflected a storage aesthetic, but that also protected the art in ways that it wouldn’t need to be protected in a back storage room."

- Sam Gappmayer, Director of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center

woman pulling out drawer on museum cabinet

Drawers and trays store small items close to artists’ other works.

Flat-file cabinets preserve and organize small objects and works on paper.

art museum collection displayed on hanging art racks

The end result is an engaging, dynamic facility with room to grow. “It’s a lively space,” Gappmeyer said. “It will lend itself to morphing as we continue to collect and rearrange different areas to be able to include new material that comes into the collection.”

Proven & Tested Quality

Spacesaver was the ideal partner for the project. “There were lots of good reasons to go with Spacesaver,” Gappmayer said. “I’ve always had respect for the product Spacesaver makes and the brand is solid, with a good reputation. We were able to work with Spacesaver to create solutions that reflected a storage aesthetic, but that also protected the art in ways that it wouldn’t need to be protected in a back storage room.”