The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is the recipient of a 2023 Honorary Historic Preservation Award in special recognition of their work preserving the Mary Nohl Art Environment.

About the Project

Mary Nohl bequeathed her home and artworks to the Kohler Foundation, Inc., which later transferred ownership to Creation and Preservation Partners, Inc., an affiliate of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. All works that adorned the interior are preserved there. 2,500 artworks from her studio are housed at the JMKAC’s Art Preserve in Sheboygan. For 22 years, KFI, JMKAC, and CAPP have undertaken substantial restoration projects to preserve this historic site in its most important context – where it was built – and have invested more than $3.6 million on preservation since 2012.

Over the decades, handpainted and bas-relief surfaces on the exterior deteriorated. Many concrete and mixed-media sculptures developed surface and structural damage. A catastrophic flood in 2010 caused tremendous damage. The house was emptied and comprehensive preservation planning commenced. The house was stabilized. Documentation using the latest technologies was and continues to be undertaken. Professional conservation of artworks is ongoing. In 2017, JMKAC hired artist and materials specialist Alex Gartelmann to live on site to conduct conservation on the interior and exterior house and sculptures, organize and digitize archival materials, and be present on site. Studying extant features by Nohl’s hand enabled him to restore areas of loss, including repainting – using Nohl’s techniques – the entire exterior and many of the interior surfaces with exceptional care.

In 2022, after six years of having a staff member live at the property to better understand the neighborhood, JMKAC formally applied for a cultural overlay district so the site can be accessible to scholars, artists, and others on a low-impact basis. The proposal defines carefully crafted policies for usage similar to other historic sites that honor neighbor’s privacy, do not increase traffic, and do not reduce property values.

The Mary Nohl House is an art environment of national significance because of its unique assemblage of thousands of works of art that require continued maintenance. JMKAC deserves recognition for this unique and long preservation effort that intersects with the built domestic environment, fine arts, public outreach, restoration, and legal protections. The sustained effort into the restoration and preservation of the Nohl collection and house, as well as the effort to ensure its future through community outreach and legal means, is an incredible commitment. Mary Nohl is among Wisconsin’s most unique artists whose work and built environment has been threatened by time and circumstance, and without the JMKAC’s effort, this unique work could have been lost.

Learn More

• Learn about the Historic Preservation and Restoration Awards

  Learn how to nominate projects for this award.

• Learn about the Board of Curators Awards