The John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan announced today that its director, Sam Gappmayer, will retire on Feb. 28 and associate director Amy Horst will assume the directorship position on March 1.
Gappmayer has served as director since 2016. He followed long-time director Ruth DeYoung Kohler II.
“Thanks to Sam’s leadership, the Arts Center continues to fulfill Ruth Kohler’s vision that art, in all iterations, has the power to change lives for the better,” said JMKAC Board president Tony Rammer. “Amy Horst, with her years of working beside Ruth in the creation of programs and exhibitions, is uniquely qualified to carry that legacy forward.”
Highlighting Gappmayer’s leadership at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center is the June 2021 opening of the Art Preserve. During his tenure, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center also achieved American Alliance of Museums accreditation.
“My time at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center has been filled with admiration for the accomplishments of Ruth Kohler and the hard work of the staff in realizing her vision of what can be achieved through the arts,” said Gappmayer. “I am so pleased to be handing the reins over to someone as accomplished and dedicated as Amy Horst.”
Horst has been with the Arts Center since 2005, when she joined the staff as a community arts coordinator. She has led all programming areas of the Arts Center, including exhibitions and collections, the Arts/Industry residency program, education, community arts, and performing arts since 2012.
