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RAM's Wustum Museum of Fine Arts

Name: RAM's Wustum Museum of Fine Arts
Address: 2519 Northwestern Avenue, Racine, WI, 53404, US
Telephone: +12626369177
Price range: Not applicable
Rating: 5

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RAM's Wustum Museum of Fine Arts

Home to the Racine Art Museum's diverse, award-winning art education program. In 1938, Jennie E. In 1941, her donation formally became the Charles A.
(1)

Wustum honored her husband’s memory by donating their house, property and a small trust fund to the city of Racine, Wisconsin. She wanted to create an art museum and park that would benefit future generations. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts through the cooperative efforts of the City of Racine and the Racine Art Association (now the Racine Art Museum Association). The Wustum Museum campus includes 13

acres of park, a one-acre formal garden, designed by famed Wisconsin landscape architect Alfred Boerner, and a 1966 classroom/studio addition. The former Wustum home, an 1856 Italianate-style farmhouse, is the center of the campus that originally housed the museum’s permanent collection. By the 1990s, the collection had grown so large that the museum’s galleries could only exhibit about 10% of it in one year. That inspired the museum’s plans for a future location, which is now the Racine Art Museum in downtown Racine. Her act of generosity inspired the growth of what is now one of the largest and most impressive contemporary craft collections of its type in any museum in North America. Jennie Wustum’s vision now impacts a community of more than 11 million people in the Chicago-Milwaukee area who can experience the museum’s collections at Racine Art Museum. RAM’s Wustum Museum continues to play a vital role in arts education by offering community outreach programs and studio art classes taught by regionally and nationally known artists.

11/26/2024

Calling all creatives!

RAM’s Wustum Museum has dozens of options to stay engaged with art throughout winter, from multi-week studio art classes to one-day, low commitment workshops. Online registration for both adult and kids’ classes opens this Saturday, November 30—mark your calendars to secure your spot!

This season, enjoy new offerings like Mini Zine Journal Workshop and Paper Anemones Workshop, alongside long-running classics like Potter’s Wheel, Painting with Acrylics, and Stained Glass classes!

Head to RAM’s website now to check out all of the available creative offerings: https://www.ramart.org/education/art-classes/

Image Credits:

Photography: RAM Staff

11/25/2024

Ceramic artist Marie Zieu Chino (1907 – 1982) is recognized as one of the most important Acoma Pueblo potters of the 1950s. Alongside artists Juana Leno, Lucy M. Lewis, and Jessie Garcia, Chino focused her career on reviving ancestral pottery forms and designs. Working primarily in intricate, geometric black-on-white patterns, Chino incorporates ancient Mimbres, Tularosa, and Anasazi symbolism into her work such as the Anasazi step design, lightning bolts, and various plants and animals.

In 1922, at the age of fifteen, Chino won her first award at the Santa Fe Indian Market. In 1998, she was posthumously awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts. Her work is included in the collections of the Albuquerque Museum, New Mexico; the National Museum of the American Indian, Washington DC; and the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC. She is represented in RAM’s collection by two works.

November is National Native American Heritage Month. RAM invites you to use this month to celebrate the creativity and impact of different indigenous cultures by exploring their art and customs through the museum’s permanent collection, exhibitions, and education programs.

Image Credits:

Marie Zieu Chino
Vase, ca. 1975
White earthenware with slip decoration
9 5/8 x 11 1/4 inches diameter
Racine Art Museum, the Karen Johnson Boyd Collection
Photography: Jarvis Lawson
Currently on display at Racine Art Museum in Craft in Color through January 11, 2025

11/23/2024

RAM members, get ready for a special treat next week with the RAM Museum Store Members Sale!

Beginning on Small Business Saturday, November 30, and running through Saturday, December 7, RAM members can enjoy an increased 20% discount at the RAM Museum Store. This annual sale is a perfect opportunity for holiday shopping, offering a unique selection of gifts at reasonable prices.

Want to take part in this terrific sale but aren’t yet a RAM member? Through the end of the year, a new or lapsed one-year Family Membership (a $75 value) can be purchased for just $50 in honor of RAM Executive Director and Curator of Collections Bruce W. Pepich’s 50 years of service at the museum—use code PEPICH50 during checkout to receive the discount.

Learn more about the RAM Museum Store Members’ Sale or become a RAM member on the museum’s website: https://www.ramart.org/class/ram-museum-store-members-sale-2024/

Image Credits:

Interior view of the RAM Museum Store, Photography: Rachel Comande

11/22/2024

Just like Glinda and Elphaba from Wicked Movie, RAM believes that pink goes good with green.

Did you know that RAM has around 11,000 pieces in its collection? While it might be difficult for you to see them all on display, RAM believes that every piece should be appreciated—that every artwork deserves the chance to fly, if you will. (But don’t worry! RAM promises that no artwork in its care is literally defying gravity!)

Swipe through this post and check out some popular pieces from RAM’s collection that will have you enjoying North America's largest collection of contemporary craft for good.

11/21/2024

With the warm temperatures fading away into the recesses of summer memory, it may be time to book a winter vacation—perhaps a trip to Miami? This watercolor painting, titled Could it be a Miami Beach Abstract Expressionist?, might not be direct from Domingo, but it is direct from North America’s largest contemporary craft collection!

Polish American painter Christel-Anthony Tucholke (1941 – 2023) combines mundane objects that seemingly may not go together into whimsical scenes that verge on the surreal. Sometimes repeating motifs, Tucholke’s work seems to tell a story. However, the artist emphasizes that the pieces are about the exploration of formal qualities and spatial relationships rather than creating a narrative.

Born in Poland to German parents, Tucholke moved to Germany at the age of seven before immigrating to the United States in 1952. In 1964, she received her Bachelor of Science in Art Education from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and in 1965, she also received her Master of Science in Fine Art. She went on to teach art at both the secondary school and university levels. Tucholke has been included in many Watercolor Wisconsin exhibitions at RAM’s Wustum Museum and was awarded two purchase awards during her career. She is represented in RAM’s collection by 10 works in addition to pieces of study material.

Image Credits:

Christel-Anthony Tucholke
Could It Be a Miami Beach Abstract Expressionist?, 1985
Watercolor and acrylic
30 x 40 inches
Racine Art Museum, Special Papers, Inc. Purchase Award from Watercolor Wisconsin 1985
Photography: Jon Bolton
Not currently on display

11/20/2024

This week is your last chance to see Nicole Acosta: HOOPS—Beyond the Aesthetic Lies the Story at RAM’s Wustum Museum!

In her HOOPS project, Milwaukee-based artist Nicole Acosta draws on the cultural history of adornment to create portraits of individuals in hoop earrings. This exhibition shows a sampling of the more than 100 stories, images, and ideas she has documented so far from across the county.

Learn more about Nicole Acosta: HOOPS on RAM’s website: https://www.ramart.org/exhibit/nicole-acosta-hoops/

Nicole Acosta: HOOPS—Beyond the Aesthetic Lies the Story is supported in part by an Equity Innovation Fund Grant from United Way of Racine County.

Image Credits:

Nicole Acosta
Tiffany, 2023
Digital inkjet print
Photography: Courtesy of the Artist

11/19/2024

Jacob B. Lewis (1955 – ) is a member of the Squamish tribe of the Coast Salish Nation, located in British Columbia, Canada. He started carving at the age of seven and went on to study art education at Capilano College, British Columbia, Canada. During his studies, he toured France, Holland, and Britain, where he was greatly inspired by the contemporary art he saw in museums.

Lewis is known for his painted hand-carvings. He works in yellow cedar and has produced poles, plaques, bowls, masks, boxes, and reliefs. His designs often take the form of an animal or character with smaller figures integrated within their design and inlaid with abalone shells from New Zealand. These elaborate original designs have gained international renown for their balancing of traditional and contemporary forms. Lewis’ designs pull from the established rules and motifs of Northwest Coast Native art, while also containing a modern dimension of his own making.

Lewis is a Master Carver of the Coast Salish Contemporary Art Movement. His work has been displayed in galleries and institutions across North America, including the Herbert F. Johnston Museum of Art. He is represented in RAM’s collection by one work.

November is National Native American Heritage Month! RAM invites you to use this month to celebrate the creativity and impact of different Indigenous cultures by exploring their art and customs through the museum’s permanent collection, exhibitions, and education programs.

Image Credits:

Jacob B. Lewis
Killer Whale Box, ca. 1985
Yellow cedar, paint, and abalone shell
Racine Art Museum, Gift of Dale and Doug Anderson
Photography: Jarvis Lawson
Not currently on display

11/18/2024

Racine Art Museum loves celebrating holidays by showing off the unique pieces in its collection. is no exception!

11/17/2024

This week is your last chance to see Wisconsin Photography 2024 at RAM’s Wustum Museum! This biennial juried exhibition that celebrates the rich community of photographers and video artists living and working in Wisconsin closes after Saturday, November 23.
https://www.ramart.org/exhibit/wisconsin-photography-2024/

Can’t make it to RAM’s Wustum Museum but still want to enjoy the exhibition? Head to RAM’s YouTube channel and watch a full virtual tour of the show, hosted by RAM Curatorial Assistant Katelyn Mitchell: https://youtu.be/CpOli_f7n6M?si=BbLmJ_5NX_ODtX0H

11/16/2024

Have you visited RAM in the last four months? Please consider filling out a short survey!

As part of Wisconsin Art Destinations, RAM has joined with 16 other art museums to raise the profile of the state as a destination for the visual arts. The Wisconsin Department of Tourism, who funds the Wisconsin Art Destinations coalition, is interested in knowing how their contributions make a difference. By filling out this survey—which only takes two minutes to complete—by the end of November, you can help the coalition secure future financial support.

Complete the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZL9WW3S

In addition to RAM, Wisconsin Art Destinations is comprised of the following art museums: Art Preserve of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan; Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass in Neenah;
Charles Allis Art Museum in Milwaukee; Chazen Museum of Art in Madison; Haggerty Museum of Art in Milwaukee; John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan; Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau; Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in Madison; Miller Art Museum in Sturgeon Bay;
Milwaukee Art Museum in Milwaukee; Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend; Paine Art Center and Gardens in Oshkosh; The Rahr-West in Manitowoc; Trout Museum of Art in Appleton, Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee.

Image Credits: Exterior View of RAM, Photography: Christopher Barett of Hedrich-Blessing

11/15/2024

There are so many reasons to love RAM! From its world-class exhibitions to education outreach programs that service nearly 50,000 people each year, RAM does so much for the Racine.

Now is your chance to support RAM and its endeavors throughout the community. Throughout the end of the year, the first $50,000 donated will be generously matched by David Charak and The Ruffo Family Foundation.

Head to RAM’s website to learn more about supporting the museum or donate now: https://www.ramart.org/get-involved/

11/13/2024

“While my Native American roots incline me toward a meditational regard for the Earth and its beings, I am fascintated [sic.] by things in opposition like plants growing against walls. I find this a powerful visual metaphor.”

Sally Larsen (Apache/Aleut, 1954 – ) describes herself as a multi-media artist who makes conceptual photographs. She combines traditional photography techniques, such as orotone, with contemporary digital methods to create images which sit ambiguously between the past and the present. In order to create these orotones, Larsen prints her images on emulsion covered panes of glass which are backed with a layer of gold leaf. The gold leaf shines through the glass to give color to the prints and reflects light in ways that provide dimensionality. Her photographs of the Southwest landscape references artists such as Edward Curtis, who photographed native people in his ethnographic images of the early twentieth century. Larsen captures many of the same topographical icons as Curtis, except devoid of people, highlighting these places as memory-sites in the wake of colonialism. Her use of gold also serves a symbolic function; it references the westward expansion of manifest destiny and the gold rush which displaced and subjugated native peoples.

Larsen is represented in RAM’s collection by this example of her orotone prints which is currently on display in RAM Showcase: Storytellers—Narrative Photography from Artists of Color.

November is National Native American Heritage Month! RAM invites you to use this month to celebrate the creativity and impact of different Indigenous cultures by exploring their art and customs through the museum’s permanent collection, exhibitions, and education programs.

Image Credits:
Sally Larsen
Canyon de Chelly, 1994
Orotone print, edition 2/10
12 1/2 x 18 1/2 inches
Racine Art Museum, the Karen Johnson Boyd Collection
Photography: Jarvis Lawson

11/12/2024

Head to RAM’s Wustum Museum this week for another free art-making event open to creators of all ages.

Currently on display through November 23, Nicole Acosta: HOOPS—Beyond the Aesthetic Lies the Story highlights one way that cultural identity shapes the communities and families through the understanding of a symbolic object. Another way that people celebrate their culture and share the joy of life with others is through food.

Drop-in to RAM’s Wustum Museum on Thursday, November 14, 3:30 – 5:00 pm, for a creative holiday feast! Use zero waste materials to make a mug, chalice, or food/drink item of your choice.

Learn more about this project and other free art activities on RAM’s website: https://www.ramart.org/education/free-art-experiences/

This project is funded in part by an Equity Innovation Fund Grant from United Way of Racine County.

11/10/2024

Who’s ready for the RAM Awesome Art Sale?

This popular event returns to Racine Art Museum this week and promises an opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind, museum-quality artwork, antiques, and collectibles that were donated to raise funds to support RAM programs and collections care. Whether you’re looking to add to your collection or find a unique holiday gift, you are sure to find something that speaks to you.

While this sensational sale officially begins at Noon on Thursday, November 14, RAM members can enjoy an exclusive shopping period before the sale opens to the general public.

Members’ Preview
Thursday, November 14 and Friday, November 15
10:00 am – Noon

Open to Members and General Public
Thursday, November 14 and Friday, November 15
Noon – 4:00 pm

Saturday, November 16
10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Learn more about the event on RAM’s website: https://www.ramart.org/class/ram-awesome-art-sale-2024/

Image Credits:

RAM Awesome Art Sale 2024
Photography: Rachel Comande

11/08/2024

With leaves falling off the trees and temperatures steadily decreasing, RAM is certainly aware that the end of the year is fast-approaching. But, before 2025 arrives, there is still time to show your support for RAM.

This year, RAM is happy to announce that the first $50,000 in donations received by Tuesday, December 31, will be matched by two generous funding partners: David Charak and The Ruffo Family Foundation. (Talk about doubling your impact!)
https://donorbox.org/ramyearend2024

All year-end gifts, renewed memberships that lapsed prior to December 31, 2023, new members that join by December 31, 2024, as well as donations to the newly established Bruce W. Pepich Legacy Fund—to help underwrite care, conservation, and presentation of works in RAM's collection—are all eligible for the generous matching. Additionally, a new or lapsed one-year Family Membership (a $75 value) can be purchased for yourself or a friend for $50 in honor of Bruce's 50 years of service at RAM—use code PEPICH50 during checkout to receive the discount.
https://www.ramart.org/membership/family-dual-membership/

Address

2519 Northwestern Avenue
Racine, WI
53404

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+12626369177

Website

https://www.ramart.org/

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Videos

There are so many reasons to love RAM! From its world-class exhibitions to education outreach programs that service nearly 50,000 people each year, RAM does so much for the Racine. Now is your chance to support RAM and its endeavors throughout the community. Throughout the end of the year, the first $50,000 donated will be generously matched by David Charak and The Ruffo Family Foundation. Head to RAM’s website to learn more about supporting the museum or donate now: https://www.ramart.org/get-involved/

Love RAM and Wustum, or just looking for a new career? The museum is currently accepting applications for the full time Exhibition Preparator. In this position, you’ll get up close and personal with RAM’s collection by handling and installing artwork at both museum campuses. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to put together one of RAM’s notable exhibitions, this is the job for you! Head to RAM’s website to learn more about this position, along with other open roles at RAM: https://www.ramart.org/get-involved/employment/ Video Credits: RAM Staff installing Collection Focus: Polish Fiber

You should be dancing at SAVOUR 2024: 70s Chic—Glamour, Glitter, and Gold! Today is the last day to buy tickets to the chicest, grooviest, party of the year that plans to transport you back to the days of Studio 54. Grab some friends and get ready to discover your inner disco diva at RAM’s Wustum Museum this Saturday, September 28: https://www.ramart.org/savour/ RAM wants to thank its SAVOUR 2024 sponsors thus far: Gold Sponsors—A.C. Buhler Family; Silver Sponsors—Baird, Horizon Retail Construction, Johnson Financial Group, The Lang Family Foundation, in association with A&E Inc., Sandra Shove; Bronze Sponsors—Dave’s Wine Garage, Educators Credit Union, Express Employment Professionals - Racine & Kenosha, Hitters Baseball, Nancy and Nick Kurten, The Prairie School, Rasmussen Diamonds, Ruffo Family Foundation, SC Johnson, A Family Company, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Twin Disc, Inc.; Friends of RAM Sponsors—Ellen and Joe Albrecht, Laura Kapitan, Rottino Kuiper Real Estate, Dan and Kris Siudak, Janna and Dr. Edward Waldeck, Varitay Studios

Hustle down to RAM’s Wustum Museum on Saturday, September 28 for SAVOUR 2024: 70s Chic—Glamour, Glitter, and Gold! Join the SAVOUR Event Committee and have a blast dancing the night away at the party of the year! Tickets are on sale now: https://www.ramart.org/savour/ RAM wants to thank its SAVOUR 2024 sponsors thus far: Gold Sponsors—A.C. Buhler Family; Silver Sponsors—Baird, Horizon Retail Construction, Johnson Financial Group, The Lang Family Foundation, in association with A&E Inc.; Bronze Sponsors—Dave’s Wine Garage, Educators Credit Union, Express Employment Professionals - Racine & Kenosha, Hitters Baseball Training Center A Louisville Slugger Authentic Facility, Nancy and Nick Kurten, The Prairie School, Rasmussen Diamonds, Ruffo Family Foundation, SC Johnson, A Family Company, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Twin Disc, Inc.; Friends of RAM Sponsors—Ellen and Joe Albrecht, Laura Kapitan, Rottino Kuiper Real Estate, Dan and Kris Siudak, Janna and Dr. Edward Waldeck

Who’s ready to do some more dancing in September? Last year, SAVOURing RAM @ 20 was a blast, but this year’s event is sure to bring even more out-of-sight fun! SAVOUR 2024: 70s Chic—Glamour, Glitter, and Gold, promises to be a night like no other, complete with special 70s surprises never before seen at RAM’s premier fundraiser. Buy your tickets now for the party of the year: https://www.ramart.org/savour/ Image Credits: Videography: Rachel Comande RAM wants to thank its SAVOUR 2024 sponsors thus far: Gold Sponsors—A.C. Buhler Family; Silver Sponsors— Baird, Horizon Retail Construction, Johnson Financial Group; Bronze Sponsors—Dave’s Wine Garage, Educators Credit Union, Express Employment Professionals - Racine & Kenosha, Hitters Baseball Training Center A Louisville Slugger Authentic Facility, Nancy and Nick Kurten, Rasmussen Diamonds, Ruffo Family Foundation, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Twin Disc, Inc.; Friends of RAM Sponsors—Ellen and Joe Albrecht, Laura Kapitan, Rottino Kuiper Real Estate, Janna and Dr. Edward Waldeck

Are you ready for a unique art event, happening this week at RAM’s Wustum Museum and the Racine Theatre Guild? Milwaukee-based artist Nicole Acosta is inviting you to join her for a free reading of excerpts from the recently debuted HOOPS stage play and a subsequent community dialogue at the Racine Theater Guild at 6:30 pm on Thursday, September 5. Enjoy extended gallery viewing hours at RAM’s Wustum Museum beginning at 5:00 pm, allowing visitors to experience Acosta’s work in preparation for the main event. The museum will also host a reception afterwards with light refreshments from 911 Tacos and Lopéz Bakery. This event is free and open to the public but requires prior registration on RAM’s website: https://www.ramart.org/class/acosta-hoops-table-read/ This event is supported in part by an Equity Innovation Fund Grant from United Way of Racine County. Video produced by Matt Binetti, Reservoir Video