By Press Release Submitted to OnMilwaukee.com Published Oct 04, 2016 at 9:45 AM

Kohl’s announced a donation of more than $1.5 million over three years to the Milwaukee Art Museum. Funding for the donation is made possible by the Kohl’s Cares cause merchandise program, which throughout the year sells children’s books and toys with 100 percent of the net profit benefiting children’s initiatives. The financial support allows the museum to continue the family-friendly Kohl’s Art Generation program, an interactive art experience in the community.

"Kohl’s wants to create opportunities for families to spend time together in a rich and memorable way. We know children enjoy the Kohl’s Art Generation program just as much as their parents do. The program connects people with the arts while making everyone feel like they belong at the museum," said Jen Johnson, Kohl’s vice president of corporate communications.

The Kohl’s Art Generation program was created in 2008 as a youth arts education initiative. Before partnering with Kohl’s, the museum served about 9,000 family participants each year. Since then, the program has seen remarkable growth and now reaches more than 300,000 participants each year.

"The Kohl’s Art Generation program has completely changed the face of the museum, making it a destination for families looking for creative experiences," said Brigid Globensky, Milwaukee Art Museum senior director of education and programs. "We are thrilled to continue partnering with Kohl’s to provide fun and interactive programs at a time when creativity is increasingly important to our community’s future."

Kohl’s Art Generation programming includes:

  • The Kohl’s Art Generation Studio, a hands-on art studio that features a variety of activities, with a new theme each month. Families can stop in for a few minutes or spend the entire day creating art together. The studio is open on Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the first Friday of each month, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with special hours during school holiday breaks.
  • The Kohl’s Art Generation Gallery, a devoted space for interactive exhibitions, designed to introduce families to artists and artworks in the museum’s collection. The current exhibition, "Rubbish!," open through October, explores artists who use discarded materials to create their artwork. There will be three new exhibitions in November 2016, September 2017 and November 2018. The gallery is open during museum hours.
  • The Kohl’s Art Generation Lab, a space dedicated to the museum’s Haitian art collection. Families can come together and immerse themselves in Haiti’s culture through art, photography, music and a variety of activities. The lab is open during museum hours.
  • Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays, lively weekend event that turns the entire museum into an art extravaganza. Families can explore the museum, watch live performances, meet visiting artists, tour through the galleries and more. Family Sundays happen five times per year. The next event, Día de los Muertos, takes place on Sunday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Kohl’s Color Wheels, a traveling art studio that visits schools and festivals to provide hands-on art activities in the community. The mobile unit is active throughout the year. Families can create projects together inspired by the museum’s collection and special exhibitions.

Since 2008, Kohl’s has donated more than $8 million to the Milwaukee Art Museum. To learn more about the museum and Kohl’s Art Generation programming, visit mam.org/artgeneration.