Wisconsin Artists: 1960-90

This exhibition surveys art in Wisconsin from 1960 to 1990. Not only was this an exceptionally fertile time in the history of a state with a (surprising to some) rich and layered history of creative production, it is also the period that Don Reitz—an artist with a concurrent exhibition at RAM—taught in the ceramics department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The work on display was specifically created during this period while the artists lived in Wisconsin. Identifying similarities among artists in a region can be daunting since there can be multiple points of comparison and contrast—as is the case with any group of people. The goals of this exhibition are not to define the work relative to the region, but to showcase it both as a way to contextualize Reitz’s work and celebrate those involved in building the legacy of art in this state, especially in the years leading up to the establishment of RAM and its 2003 opening.

All work—including works on paper, baskets, furniture, jewelry, painting, and ceramics—is drawn from RAM’s collection and reflects the range of ideas, media, and processes at play in the state and memorialized within the museum’s holdings.