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The bathrooms at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center steal the show as one of the most unique exhibits

Posted at 10:23 AM, Oct 14, 2022
and last updated 2022-10-14 11:23:37-04

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — A Sheboygan museum believes that bathrooms don't just have to be private spaces. Instead, they can be art exhibits that tour groups walk through.

The John Michael Kohler Arts Center's (JMKAC) 10 bathrooms double as art exhibits. They've consistently been named among the most artistic bathrooms in the country. Most recently, the American Alliance of Museums said that the JMKAC bathrooms are among the best in the nation.

"We really believe here that every facet of your life can be changed, enlightened, and even improved by art," Jodi Throckmorton, who is the chief curator at the JMKAC, said.

John Michael Kohler Art Center
Art inside the men's bathroom inside the John Michael Kohler Art Center that represents Sheboygan's relationship with water including waterfalls, Lake Michigan, homes, and more.

The museum wants to turn the mundane into something spectacular. While most bathrooms seem like an afterthought or the last place for decorative design, the JMKAC wanted to reflect society, our culture, and the environment in the design. So in the 1990s, they commissioned artists to design and build one-of-a-kind bathrooms.

Stunning Bathrooms

Arguably the two most stunning bathrooms are the first ones you walk past when you enter the museum. The women's bathroom is painted bright pink. On the walls are cartoon depictions of women combined with famous fairytales. Inside each stall are images depicting the history of women's underwear.

John Michael Kohler Arts Center
A stall in the women's bathroom is part of a series that shows the changes in women's underwear and undergarments over time.

"As you go through the stalls, you’ll see bras, corsets, and underwear, all the things that underpin - and you might see in private," Throckmorton said.

The first men's bathroom shows the history of architecture and the leaders who helped facilitate those projects.

"On one side of the wall, (the artist) tells the history or architecture, and the other sides point towards the people that make it happen - the CEOs, the leaders," Throckmorton said.

Sheboygan Bathroom JKMAC
The men's bathroom inside the John Michael Kohler Arts Center depicts the history of architecture and the leaders who facilitated these projects.

Tours

As one could expect, tourgoers are pretty surprised when Throckmorton leads them into a bathroom. However, she said all the reviews have been positive. It might not be typical of a museum tour, but it makes for a memorable one, that's for sure.

John Michael Kohler Art Center
Mosaic tiles inside the John Michael Kohler Arts Center that show the many allude to the many roles that women play in society. The combine images of body figures and images from mythical stories and fairytales.

If you aren't on the tour but want to view the bathrooms, you are more than welcome to. Obviously, you can since they are the bathrooms. But if you are planning on taking photos, maybe give a courtesy knock or warning to anyone before you snap a few photos.