The value of the Arts/Industry program to the factory can be assessed from both a personal and business standpoint. For some, the experience of meeting artists from all over the world is the most important aspect. For others, it's the bottom line. Over the years, design ideas generated by artists have been translated into innovative new products offered by the company. Kohler Co. has long encouraged an ongoing dialogue with the art community by opening the doors of its pottery and iron foundry to internationally recognized artists. In a program administered by the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, artists work side by side with Kohler associates during long-term residencies, utilizing industrial technology on projects of their own choosing. The resulting free exchange of techniques and ideas has opened whole new avenues of creative expression for the artists. Its Artist Editions collection of surface-decorated plumbing fixtures, for example, grew directly out of the Arts/Industry program.