RAM's Wustum Museum of Fine Arts

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.

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.

Currently on display in Cut It Out: Papercutting Traditions and Beyond through July 18, UW-Madison professor Michael Vel...
06/07/2026

Currently on display in Cut It Out: Papercutting Traditions and Beyond through July 18, UW-Madison professor Michael Velliquette (1971 – ) uses cut paper to create books, two-dimensional reliefs, and three-dimensional sculpture. Velliquette’s practice investigates the potential of color as a spiritual and metaphorical tool while also exploring pattern and design. With his most recent work, he foregrounds labor, process, and materiality. Rather than planning and drawing studies, he allows works “to accrue cut-by-cut and piece-by-piece” in a process that he refers to as “slow-motion improvisation.”

Building on his long-standing relationship with paper and transferring that knowledge to light durable Tyvek panels, Velliquette is creating a large-scale installation for RAM’s Windows on Fifth Gallery which opens July 22. The project, titled “Intuitive Patterns,” reflects his interest in color theory, pattern-making, and papercraft. Beginning as a seamless gradient before being rearranged mid-way through the exhibition into more contrasting color relationships, the installation features a series of multi-colored panels inspired by Ellsworth Kelly’s Spectrum series.

Image Credits:
1
Michael Velliquette, Helios, 2009, Paper, 38 x 37 inches, Racine Art Museum, Gift of the Artist in Honor of Tehshik Yoon, Photography: Rachel Comande, Currently on display at the Racine Art Museum in Cut It Out: Papercutting Traditions and Beyond through July 18, 2026
2
Michael Velliquette, Babooma, 2010, Colored cardstock paper, 31 x 33 inches, Racine Art Museum, Gift of the Artist in Honor of Tehshik Yoon, Photography: Rachel Comande, Currently on display at the Racine Art Museum in Cut It Out: Papercutting Traditions and Beyond through July 18, 2026

RAM recently ramped up its membership program with RAM Perks and Discounts (RAMP’D), a new value-added benefit for our m...
06/04/2026

RAM recently ramped up its membership program with RAM Perks and Discounts (RAMP’D), a new value-added benefit for our members and in support of our downtown business neighbors.

From a lakefront lunch at Reefpoint Brewhouse to handcrafted jewelry at Art Metals Studio, and so much more, RAM members receive discounts at several of the most popular restaurants and shops throughout Downtown Racine—on top of the 10% discount they already receive at the RAM Museum Store.

So, what are you waiting for? Become a member today!

Head to our website to join: https://www.ramart.org/memberships/

Introducing another one of our new core values: innovation and experimentation.In other words, we challenge assumptions,...
06/02/2026

Introducing another one of our new core values: innovation and experimentation.
In other words, we challenge assumptions, explore various perspectives, and test new ideas to create experiences that are bold, unconventional, and thought-provoking.

You’ve already seen this value at work in many of our programs this year—including our over-the-top circus-themed fundraiser, Eye Candy: Bunny Big Top. However, we’re excited to continue innovating throughout the summer, with events like the new Twilight Garden Series and the upcoming In/Between Festival. (Stay tuned for more details!)

As part of RAM’s 2026–30 strategic plan, we’re excited to share just what is guiding us into a new era. Our new, vision, mission, and values reflect RAM’s enduring commitment to artists whose practice sit within and between contemporary art, craft, design, and community making. As a whole, they outline, how the museum can support creators as they adapt, foster spaces for exploration, care for place, and sustain continuity through change—while strengthening our role as a resource for audiences, partners, and the broader public.

Read RAM’s newest strategic plan, RAM 2.0: Creating the Future: https://issuu.com/racineartmuseum/docs/ram_2.0_creating_the_future_racine_art_museum_str?fr=xKAE9_zMzMw

Image Credits:
Dahlia Fatale at Eye Candy: Bunny Big Top, Photography: Azure Mahara Photography

Don’t miss out on incredible events happening at RAM and RAM’s Wustum Museum this June!From signature experiences to new...
06/01/2026

Don’t miss out on incredible events happening at RAM and RAM’s Wustum Museum this June!

From signature experiences to new exhibitions and family-friendly activities, there’s something for everyone, no matter how you see yourself at RAM.

Head to our website to learn more about these upcoming events: https://www.ramart.org/events/

“My Genuine Fake China series presents two sides: one featuring a Chinese or Japanese proverb, and the other offering it...
05/31/2026

“My Genuine Fake China series presents two sides: one featuring a Chinese or Japanese proverb, and the other offering its English equivalent—or a saying with similar nuance. It’s my attempt to build a bridge across cultural gaps and spark conversations about the profound ideas we share, even across different languages, histories, and traditions. While learning American English, I discovered that proverbs are the distilled essence of a culture’s philosophy. If two languages share a proverb with the same meaning, I feel confident that those cultures think alike—at least on that subject. And if a saying exists across multiple cultures, it’s strong evidence of a universal truth.”

Porcelain artist Yoko Sekino-Bové (1970 – ) worked as a commercial graphic designer in Japan and the US before beginning her career in ceramics. She received her BFA in graphic design from Musashino Art University, Tokyo, Japan, and an MFA in ceramics from the University of Oklahoma, Norman. After graduate school, Sekino-Bové moved to Pennsylvania where she taught at local colleges and art centers, including Carnegie Mellon University. Her prestigious porcelain work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and featured in many publications. Sekino-Bové is represented in RAM’s collection by a teapot and set of teacups.

May is Asian / Pacific American Heritage Month! RAM invites you to use this month to learn more about—and celebrate—the history and contributions of Asian and Pacific Americans to American life through their work in RAM’s permanent collection, exhibitions, and education programs.

Image Credits:
Yoko Sekino-Bové, Village Expert Teapot from the Genuine Fake China Series, 2010, Porcelain with glazes and lustres, Racine Art Museum, Gift of the Artist, Photography: Courtesy of the Artist, Currently on display at the Racine Art Museum in Tanya Crane: Embodied Histories—Exploring the Legacy of African Jewelry through January 9, 2027

As the school year comes to an end, we're looking back at some of our favorite moments with RAM on the Road. RAM Educati...
05/30/2026

As the school year comes to an end, we're looking back at some of our favorite moments with RAM on the Road. RAM Education Staff had a fantastic time this year visiting all Second Graders in the Racine Unified School District, as well as attending programs at United Way Community Schools, art nights, school art shows, and various events throughout Racine.

However, just because school may be out, it doesn't mean the art fun has to end! This summer, you'll find RAM on the Road sharing art projects with the community at the Racine Farmers Market on May 30, June 20, and July 25. (What better way to celebrate today than by stopping by and showing off your creative side?)

Learn more about RAM on the Road: https://www.ramart.org/education/ram-on-the-road/

Image Credits:
RAM on the Road participants, Photography: RAM Education Staff

The Racine Art Museum Association, Inc. (RAMA) Annual Members Meeting was held on May 19, 2026. The membership elected a...
05/29/2026

The Racine Art Museum Association, Inc. (RAMA) Annual Members Meeting was held on May 19, 2026. The membership elected a slate of new candidates for the museum’s Board of Directors for initial three-year terms and returning Board Members for second three-year terms.

Elected for an initial three-year term:
• Trenton Baylor, Artist, Associate Professor of Art, University of Wisconsin—Parkside
• Ryan Goerres, Managing Partner, Andrea & Orendorff, LLP
• Missy Madden Peterson, Sr. Director—Business Transformation, Meetings & Incentives Worldwide
• James C. Small, Partner, Maller Peterson, LLC
• Sherrye Smith, Art Teacher, Racine Unified School District
• Jojin Van Winkle, Filmmaker, Screenwriter, Artist, Art & Design Department Chair and Associate Professor of Art, Carthage College

Elected for a second three-year term:
• Linea Anthony, Owner, RMM Interiors
• Nichole Elcano, Volunteer Leader

At this same meeting, a retiring Board Members was honored for his multiple years of service to the institution.

Retired Board Member:
• Carl Hipp, Retired Educated, Racine Unified School District

In addition, the RAMA Board of Directors elected the following officers for the coming year at a separate session following the Annual Meeting.

President: Clair Holland, Principal/Owner, VIVIDLY by Clair Holland Consulting
• Vice President: Denise Roberts McKee, Chief Operating Officer, September Club
• Treasurer: John Crimmings, General Sales Manager, First Weber Real Estate
• Secretary: Julia Oas, Retired Executive Director for Regulatory and Marketing Law, SC Johnson & Son, Inc.

RAMA oversees operations and programming for both the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts and Racine Art Museum in Racine, Wisconsin.

Learn more about RAMA's Board of Directors on our website: https://www.ramart.org/info/board-of-directors/

During last month's Weaving Together a Community: Artist Talk with Amanda Browder, RAM Executive Director Robb Woulfe sa...
05/28/2026

During last month's Weaving Together a Community: Artist Talk with Amanda Browder, RAM Executive Director Robb Woulfe sat down with Browder to discuss her practice, process, and the power of collective making as she coordinates a project that will transform RAM’s exterior into a larger-than-life work of art.

Want to help bring this installation to life? Drop off your spare fabric at RAM or RAM’s Wustum Museum now through Wednesday, July 1. Acceptable fabric should be non-stretchy opaque materials, saturated solid colors or patterns, and at least one foot in any direction. Please do not donate any clothes.

Plus, stay tuned to learn more about Community Sewing Days between July 21 and 31, where you can join Amanda Browder to sew, trim, pin, or chat while connecting with fellow creatives.

Head to our website to learn more about this exciting project: https://www.ramart.org/exhibit/amanda-browder-zig-and-zag/

Image Credits:
1
Amanda Browder team sewing with a child at RAM, Photography: Rachel Comande
2
Amanda Browder and RAM Executive Director Robb Woulfe during Weaving Together a Community: Artist Talk with Amanda Browder, Photography: Rachel Comande

Address

2519 Northwestern Avenue
Racine, WI
53404

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

+12626369177

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