Kalamazoo was legally incorporated as a village in 1838 and as a city in 1883. Kalamazoo has several nicknames: The Mall City, K’zoo and The Zoo. Kalamazoo is home to Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College.
In 1959, the city created the Kalamazoo Mall, the first outdoor pedestrian shopping mall in the United States. The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, whose collection has more than 3,600 works and a focus on 20th-century American art.
On the first Friday of each month, the Arts Council organizes the ‘Art Hop’. Art Hop is a free event, during which downtown businesses and galleries display works by local artists, and patrons ‘hop’ from venue to venue, enjoying art, live music, and the chance to interact with local artists.