RACINE — The Racine Art Museum (RAM) on May 13 is celebrating its 20th anniversary serving Downtown Racine and beyond.
RAM is located at 441 Main St. in Downtown Racine and not only serves as a significant anchor to the community but also is a nationally recognized cultural destination in the heart of the community.
Reflecting on the past two decades
Since RAM opened in 2003, the museum has worked steadily to create a cultural center serving the national fine arts field through its exhibitions and permanent collection of contemporary craft—the most significant in North America, in addition to connecting on a local level.
RAM has created a positive image for the greater Racine community through its outreach and involvement with the arts in the area and beyond.
Looking ahead
The art museum is working towards an even brighter future through the continued support of the community.
Throughout the remainder of 2023, those visiting RAM can explore stunning exhibitions and participate in programs or classes that shine a light on the achievements of the RAM over the past two decades.
Upcoming exhibitions and programs
In celebration of the museum’s 20th Anniversary, several exhibitions and educational programs this year are inspired by the occasion including the following:
Futures Reimagined: RAM Community Art Show
Futures Reimaged: RAM Community Art Show, in partnership with with Mahogany Gallery runs from June 14 to Aug. 5 at RAM’s Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, 2519 Northwestern Ave.
This exhibit is inspired by the theme of Mahogany Gallery’s 2nd Annual Wisconsin Black Arts and Culture Expo, Black Futures. As a part of Futures Reimagined, Mahogany Gallery CEO Scott Terry invited artists to participate in the next iteration of the Expo theme, Black Futures 2.
This exhibition invites artists to share their ideas about what a potential future—realistic or fantastical, possible, or impossible—could look like.
Kids Day: Time Capsules
The Wustum Museum of Fine Arts will host Kids Day: Time Capsules from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 16. Families are invited to create art inspired by the past, present, and future—all to go into a personal time capsule.
There will be other fun opportunities and the chance to create multiple art projects, play art games, go on scavenger hunts, and more.
As part of RAM’s commitment to supporting local and regional artists and partnerships, families will have the opportunity to meet two special guest artists during Kids Day.
Printmaker and University of Wisconsin–Parkside artist-in-resident Roberto Torres Mata, as well as a featured artist invited by Mahogany Gallery for Black Futures 2, will offer hands-on art activities to showcase the type of artwork they are creating in their professional careers.
RAM’s First 20 Years: A Visual History of the Art and Architecture
The next exhibition in the Windows on Fifth Gallery will be RAM’s First 20 Years: A Visual History of the Art and Architecture. It will focus on the museum’s anniversary as subject matter—showcasing large-scale photographs of RAM exhibitions throughout the last two decades alongside other historical imagery and select sculptural works from the museum’s permanent collection.
“Not only do the images and objects featured in this exhibition establish a framework for understanding a formative time for this dynamic institution, but they also recognize the symbiotic relationship between the architectural space and the art that inhabits it,” read the release.
This exhibit is also an homage to Brad Lynch, a partner at the former architectural firm Brininstool + Lynch and local to Racine.
Lynch passed away in 2022. However, he took his first art classes at RAM’s Wustum Museum and incorporated his own experiences being raised in this community into his work on RAM.
“His desire to establish a space that would draw people inside led to distinctive building features such as the acrylic panels on the exterior and a ground floor with storefront-like windows that make the interior contents visible from the street,” was noted in the release.
Visiting information
Both campuses of the Racine Art Museum are currently operating with limited hours, open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
RAM admission is $10 for adults; $8 for students and seniors (62 or older); and free for RAM members, children under 12, and active military.
RAM’s Wustum Museum admission is always free.
Both museums encourage all visitors and staff who are not fully vaccinated, and those who feel more comfortable, to wear a mask in public areas at Racine Art Museum and RAM’s Wustum Museum.
Some in-person art classes and workshops at RAM’s Wustum Museum still require masks, determined on a case-by-case basis.
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