West Town, Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, Kinzie Corridor, Humboldt Park

West Town

Wisconsin

IL • MI • IN

West Loop, Fulton Market, East Garfield Park

West Loop and West Side

Evanston, The North Shore, Northern, Western and Southern Suburbs

Suburbs

Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Roscoe Village, Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Uptown, Edgewater, Andersonville, Rogers Park

North Side

Michigan Avenue, Streeterville, The Gold Coast, The Loop, and South Loop

Michigan Avenue

Pilsen, Bridgeport, Chinatown, plus Hyde Park, Jackson Park/Dorchester, and Bronzeville

South Side

Superior and Franklin streets, West Chicago Ave, and down to Merchandise Mart and the River

River North

At RAM’s Wustum Museum Contemporary art jewelry often investigates cultural, social, personal, and environmental topics. Distinguished by a vocabulary of diverse media from precious metals to recycled objects, it also reflects artists’ interests in material exploration and notions of wearability. RAM’s holdings in art jewelry—with examples from artists from across the globe at varying stages in their careers—have grown rapidly. Artistic self-consciousness often drives those who make work considered “art jewelry,” though this is just part of a much larger conversation. Makers explore a wide variety of issues, materials, and themes, while utilizing media—both precious and non-precious—that encourage the exploration of jewelry and its history. In this selection of seven artists of color from RAM’s collection, the emphasis is on materials not traditionally anticipated for use in jewelry, such as polymer, safety pins, and silicone. While there are theoretically no limitations to the materials any artist can use, there have historically been barriers to some artists of color in the United States—indirect or otherwise—to access tools, materials, or studio spaces. At this moment, more and more efforts are being made to support and encourage the work of artists of color while drawing attention to existing work.Following the&nbsp;<a style="color: var(--link_color);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ramart.org/exhibit/nicole-acosta-hoops/" target="_blank">solo exhibition of Nicole Acosta</a>, which featured photographs of people of the global majority wearing hoop earrings, this exhibition emphasizes an idea that RAM often explores: how adornment can go beyond decoration to become a symbolic and layered space for meaning. While some of the work in this exhibition has been shown in the galleries at RAM, all of these pieces are making their debut at Wustum. Image: Lorena AnguloMilagro Heart Tree of Life, 2022Bronze, coral and turquoise beads, brass wire, and stainless steel wire4 7/8 x 3 7/8 x 3/4 inchesRacine Art Museum, Windgate Foundation Contemporary Craft Acquisition GrantPhotography: Jon Bolton

RAM Showcase: Focus on Adornment

<h2>Silver Lining: The Prints of Derrick Adams</h2><h4>Exhibition Dates:&nbsp;October 8–December 19, 2025</h4><h4>Reception:&nbsp;Thursday, October 9, 7–9 pm</h4> Over the past six years, artist Derrick Adams has created nearly twenty vibrant prints in collaboration with Tandem Press. This exhibition highlights the results of that partnership—works that celebrate leisure, domestic life, and personal style through bold color, repeating patterns, and cadenced compositions. Adams first came to Tandem Press in 2019, following a recommendation from artist Mickalene Thomas. His first print with the studio,&nbsp;Self-Portrait on Float, shows him lounging on a unicorn pool float—gold-leaf accents, rainbow details, and all—Adams gazes out at the viewer with his head gently tilted, surrounded by a sea of vivid teal.&nbsp; Throughout these prints, we see a celebration of rest, domesticity, recreation, and style—recurring motifs in his larger body of work—filtered through the medium’s rich graphic possibilities. Working closely with Tandem’s collaborative printmakers, Adams has taken full advantage of the studio’s technical resources and experimental spirit, resulting in prints that pulse with color and rhythm.&nbsp; Silver Lining&nbsp;not only documents a significant chapter in Derrick Adams’s artistic practice but also celebrates the democratic and expansive nature of printmaking. Through these works, viewers are invited into scenes that affirm rest as resistance, leisure as power, and joy as a vital, everyday act.&nbsp; <h2>About the Artist:</h2>Derrick Adams&nbsp;(b. 1970, Baltimore, Maryland) is a multidisciplinary artist who closely considers the influence of popular culture on the formation of self-image. His work also questions how African American experiences intersect with art history, American iconography, and consumerism. He received a BFA from Pratt Institute and an MFA from Columbia University. He is also an alumnus of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and the Sharpe-Walentas Studio program. He has received multiple notable awards, including a Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Residency (2019), Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship (2018), Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize from the Studio Museum in Harlem (2016), and the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award (2009). Derrick Adams has been exhibiting extensively since 2001, including solo exhibitions at the California African American Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, Milwaukee Art Museum, Hudson River Museum, The Gallery in Baltimore City Hall, Museum of Arts and Design, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver. His work has also been included in numerous important exhibitions at institutions such as the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, The Studio Museum in Harlem, MoMA PS1, and the Brooklyn Museum. His work is held in many permanent public and private collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Baltimore Museum of Art, Birmingham Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Derrick Adams lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. This exhibition is supported by the Anonymous Fund.

Silver Lining: The Prints of Derrick Adams

The Kim Storage Gallery is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition&nbsp;Mostly Stripes: Assemblages and Collages&nbsp;featuring Madison Artist&nbsp;Kevin Henkes.&nbsp;Kim Storage Gallery is pleased to present Mostly Stripes – Assemblages and Collages, a solo exhibition featuring a striking body of paper collages and wooden box assemblages by acclaimed artist and author Kevin Henkes. In this exhibition, stripes emerge as a recurring visual language—sometimes bold and rhythmic, other times subtle and understated. Whether appearing as cut paper elements in collages or as linear structures within wooden box assemblages, stripes anchor Henkes’s explorations of space, repetition, and variation. The title Mostly Stripes reflects both the prevalence of this motif across the works and the artist’s playful acknowledgement of its quiet insistence.Known internationally for his award-winning career as a children’s book author and illustrator, Henkes here extends his visual practice into new material realms. His collages, assembled from cut and layered papers, embody a delicate interplay of line, shape, and color. The wooden box constructions, by contrast, explore depth, texture, and spatial composition, creating intimate environments that feel at once playful and contemplative.Drawing upon a lifetime of storytelling through images and words, Henkes’s fine art reflects the same clarity, restraint, and emotional resonance that distinguish his books. Influences range from modernist abstraction and collage traditions to the narrative sensibility honed across more than four decades of bookmaking. Together, these works offer a glimpseinto the artist’s evolving exploration of form, material, and imagination.Kevin Henkes is the celebrated creator of over fifty books for young readers, spanning picture books, beginning readers, and novels. He is the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon and a Newbery Honor for Olive’s Ocean, among numerous other distinctions including Caldecott Honors, Geisel Honors, and the Children’s Literature Legacy Award. His work has been translated into many languages and cherished by generations of readers worldwide.Beyond his literary acclaim, Henkes has long pursued drawing and painting as part of his daily practice. His collages and assemblages—now presented publicly in this exhibition—extend that visual language into a new and surprising register.He lives in Madison, Wisconsin with his wife, Laura Dronzek, a renowned artist and illustrator.Image: Cathedral, Mixed Media, 9 x 6.75 x 2.5"

Mostly Stripes: Assemblages and Collages: Kevin Henkes

Andy will be in the gallery on Friday, November 21st from 6-8 pm.&nbsp;Newman’s journey to professional artistry is as compelling as his paintings. After spending over 15 years practicing law in Washington, D.C., he discovered his true calling when a friend gifted him painting tools. The choice became clear: he much preferred creating art to office life. At 36, Newman made the leap to become a full-time artist.Working primarily in oil while also exploring pastels, acrylics, and colored pencils, Newman specializes in landscapes, abstracts, and figures—often combining them in striking and creative ways. His artistic vision draws from diverse influences spanning 19th and 20th century American and European masters, including Giorgio Morandi, Edward Hopper, and Maurice de Vlaminck, alongside classical Baroque pioneers Georges de La Tour and Caravaggio. Represented in over ten galleries across Europe and North America, Newman maintains his studio at the Umbrella Arts Center in Concord, Massachusetts.&nbsp;Whether you’re seeking your first gallery piece or adding to a growing collection, or looking for the best holiday gift ever, these small wonders remind us that profound beauty can come in small proportions. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Bright Lights, Small Treasures

This blockbuster exhibition brings together three distinctive artistic voices, each exploring the natural world through their unique lens and personal journey.&nbsp;From the intimate botanicals of Pierce to the expansive landscapes of Groves and the Eastern-influenced abstractions of Saffer, “Nature’s Voice” celebrates the diverse ways contemporary artists interpret and respond to the beauty of our environment.Christopher Groves brings a profound connection to nature born from his early years exploring the Louisiana bayous and Colorado mountains. Born in Boulder and raised between Louisiana and Colorado, Groves developed his love for the outdoors through countless adventures in forests, waterways, and mountain ranges. His formal training at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy and his role as Lead Landscape Instructor at the Colorado Classical Academy have shaped his masterful approach to plein air painting. As a signature member of both the Oil Painters of America and the American Society of Marine Artists, Groves captures the essence of natural landscapes with both technical precision and emotional depth, creating works that transport viewers directly into the wilderness he knows so intimately.Christopher Pierce is a nationally recognized artist whose stunning florals and still lifes emerge from the bounty of his own gardens. Pierce’s work demonstrates a mature sensitivity and panache that transform everyday botanical subjects into commanding artistic statements. His large-scale floral compositions are particularly renowned for their bold presence and sophisticated handling of light and color. Beyond his celebrated florals, Pierce’s versatility extends to portraiture, figures, and intimate interior scenes, all painted with the same level of technical mastery and artistic vision. Based in Shushan, New York, Pierce’s work reflects a deep understanding of both classical techniques and contemporary sensibilities, making him one of the most sought-after painters in the realm of contemporary realism.H.M. Saffer II presents perhaps the most internationally diverse artistic journey of the three. Beginning his public art career at just six years old in Philadelphia, Saffer’s path led him to Temple University and then to Paris, where he simultaneously pursued economics, performed with legendary French musicians like Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour, and operated restaurants in both Paris and Madrid. His artistic evolution took a distinctive turn in the 1980s when he began studying Sumi-e, the Japanese art of black ink painting, eventually traveling to Japan to work with master practitioners. This unique fusion of Eastern and Western techniques defines his current work, creating paintings that blend oriental philosophy with Western artistic traditions. His studies at L’Ecole Des Beaux Arts and his multifaceted career as musician, chef, and artist have culminated in works that reflect a truly global artistic perspective, making him a singular voice in contemporary art.

blockbuster

Whether or not something is real or fabricated has become a compelling conversation in a contemporary context as technology allows for the simulation of reality on multiple levels. Artists have been interested in exploring the dynamics of representation and authenticity for many years, but what that actually looks like depends on the artist’s interests as well as what is happening in society at that time. For example, trompe l’oeil&nbsp;(French for fool or deceive the eye) artwork has been an artistic pursuit for centuries. The art form has been historically associated with two-dimensional imagery that appears as three-dimensional space or objects, but can also be applied to three-dimensional objects that, to put it simply, are deceptive in one context or another. Using clay and enamel on copper, respectively, Canadian artists and married couple Karen Dahl and James Doran explore these concepts through their well-known&nbsp;trompe l’oeil&nbsp;sculptures. The two are not collaborators, but their work is rooted in similar subject matter and a desire to explore what still life means in the modern era. A recent gift of 27 works by Dahl and Doran joined three pieces by Dahl already in RAM’s collection—establishing archive holdings for each artist. Shown intermingled in this exhibition, the works of Dahl and Doran encourage extended viewing and consideration of art history, object meaning, and process. James DoranEntomological Doodle, 1989Enamel on copper11 1/2 x 9 1/4 inchesRacine Art Museum, Gift of Holly Hotchner and Franklin SilverstonePhotography: Jarvis Lawson

Fool Me Once: The Trompe L’oeil Sculpture of Karen Dahl and James Doran

OS Projects presents “…and the far off flutter of smoke stained wings.”, an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Stephen Williams. The exhibition opens on November 8, 2025 and continues through January 10, 2026. The public is invited to meet the artist on Saturday, November 8 from 1 – 3 pm. Stephen Williams’ artwork asks a fundamental question: How do the things that we observe and experience outside of ourselves become infused with emotion and meaning and entry points for our imaginations? The peculiar transformation that takes place during the artmaking process, when words, concepts and experiences move from being “a thing in the world to a world in a thing,” is a source of endless fascination for the artist. Williams describes the 15 paintings in his OS Projects exhibit as renderings of anonymous interior spaces, analogous to rooms he has never entered or never could. Their images are generated spontaneously and proceed to completion in an improvisational manner. This approach allows the artist to indulge in a kind of freedom and vulnerability as well as an expansiveness that flirts with failure at every moment. To develop the palette of his paintings, Williams uses only black, blue, yellow, red and white paints. Each has been given a symbolic value. Black represents subjectivity, while blue stands for subjective experience/water. Yellow expresses metaphor/plane of immanence/air, and red is objective experience/fire. White symbolizes objectivity, the opposite of black. In contrast to the self-contained paintings, Williams’ sculptures function as models. They are physical prompts for things the artist has been thinking about or would like to consider further. Like the forms in his paintings, the sculptures exist in a state of flux. By virtue of being placed into different configurations, they become different things. What is real? The question has preoccupied Williams throughout his life. The answer, he has discovered through his decades-long art practice, is that reality is “a place where you no longer possess a thing but instead it possesses you.” About the Artist Born in Joliet, Illinois, Stephen Williams currently lives and works in Chicago. He holds degrees from the University of Illinois School of Architecture and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Williams has exhibited his work at various art venues, including the Chicago galleries CompassRose, Dart and 65GRAND, and Deborah Sharpe and Charles Cowles galleries in New York. His artwork is in the collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, JP Morgan Chase Bank, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the American Medical Association.&nbsp;

Stephen Williams: "...and the far off flutter of smoke stained wings."

The first mid-career survey of the artist’s work,&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jmkac.org/exhibition/ashwini-bhat-reverberating-self/?utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_Ui-15B_CcQknU9GEDGXMjBqDrNc-DTSKdHoyu63GuASVBzt71GYE_-e31PGV6S0Mplqp9YfAjLuTlga8VG8STj3QakJsCm2tjyDUB9eTtkUkzkDY&amp;_hsmi=343424237&amp;utm_content=343424237&amp;utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Ashwini Bhat: Reverberating Self</a> contains artworks made over the past decade alongside newly made work that has never been shown. The exhibition illustrates her journey since moving to California—creating a new home and securing a sense of belonging through communion with her environment and art making. The artworks evidence Bhat’s technical skill and intuitive approach to diverse materials and techniques, including cast bronze, hand-built ceramics, video works, and an artist-led collaborative community installation. All works on view are part of&nbsp;Assembling California,&nbsp;the artist’s ongoing project of place and self. The series concentrates on natural phenomena including post-fire forests, climate change, large-scale forces, mapping, and relationships. As an immigrant from southern India, Bhat works to find a sense of belonging and self in her home in California. She does this through walking, hiking, and spending time with local ecologists. Bhat’s past is infused into the present and imaginings of possible futures. She weaves time and experience through her sculptures by naming a body of her works depicting California flora after nature spirits, or Yakshis, entities that are part of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain religious practices. Bhat firmly roots her practice in recognizing humankind’s interconnectedness with all living beings and places—through contact, communion, and witnessing. She creates sculptures to share moments of her journey—of seeking self within her ecologies and invites viewers to relate to their environments by building relationships and spending time with other beings, human and nonhuman alike. Image: Ashwini Bhat. Photo: John Janca, courtesy of the artist and Shoshana Wayne Gallery.

Ashwini Bhat: Reverberating Self

In 2022, RAM organized a landmark exhibition for its street-facing Windows on Fifth Gallery. With artworks chosen from RAM’s collection,&nbsp;<a style="color: var(--link_color);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ramart.org/exhibit/on-fire-women-glass/" target="_blank">On Fire: Surveying Women in Glass in the Late-Twentieth Century</a>&nbsp;offered a cursory look at how women were shaping glass as an art material in the 1980s and 1990s. The exhibition title alludes to certain techniques of physically working with glass as well as the idea that some artists were innovating and making names for themselves—that they were “on fire” in their art world trajectory. This exhibition, an expanded version of the 2022 show, offers a deeper dive into this vital period in contemporary craft by outlining the concerns of artists who explore the sculptural, visual, metaphorical, and creative potential of glass. Seen through the eyes of women, it reflects developments with the medium as an art material two and three decades after studio glass concepts were being implemented into university programs and contemporary practices. Notably, a portion of the gallery is dedicated to supporting materials, such as images, articles, and books, which offer a broader context for understanding the artists, medium, and field.Glass does not have a single history as it has been used in many different ways. Its usage in a decorative context still exists, but the twentieth century also saw the academic establishment of it as a viable art-making material. This exhibition includes various examples of work produced within the studio glass framework—as self-consciously made art reflecting artistic investigations of materials, processes, and ideas. Artists represented include Sonja Blomdahl, Kimiake Higuchi, Concetta Mason, Flo Perkins, Kari Russell-Pool, Ginny Ruffner, Acquaetta Williams, Ann Wolff, and Toots Zynsky. Expanding on the 2022 exhibition, this iteration also features examples from collaborative teams, such as John Littleton and Kate Vogel and Benjamin Edols and Kathy Elliott. These artists explore numerous topics, including identity, beauty, color, pattern, nature, abstraction, form, the figure, metaphor, process, and the properties and abilities of glass as a material. There is also a range of techniques represented, including blowing, lampworking, casting, fusing, carving, polishing, pâte de verre, assembling, and various surface treatments. In essence, the exhibition summarizes the experimental nature of the artists and studio glass in general. A critic of another recent all-female glass exhibition lamented about needing to draw attention to the fact that all of the artists were women—are they artists first or women first? These conversations can also be limiting as they sidestep more fluid gender dynamics. Yet, in this particular moment in time, it is indeed important to draw attention to components beyond the objects themselves. Who the makers are and how they move through the world influences the work even if it is not the identifiable subject matter. Image: Ginny RuffnerTempest in a Spoon&nbsp;from the&nbsp;Structuring Beauty Series, 1999Glass and enamel paintRacine Art Museum, Gift of Stanley and Evelyn AsraelPhotography: Jarvis Lawson

On Fire Part II: Surveying Women in Glass in the Late-Twentieth Century

Kim Storage Gallery is pleased to present Balance a solo exhibition featuring Chicago artist Susan Hall. Her oil paintings reverently explore nature. Hall’s animal subjects —often deer, birds, rabbits, and other woodland creatures — are rendered with the gravity and presence of portraiture. Sometimes a human figure joins the animal in quiet communion. A lace or crochet pattern runs throughout many of her pieces, veiling the subject to create a dreamlike atmosphere while also suggesting a delicate connection. Hall’s work is informed by meditations on coexistence, vulnerability, and the powerful harmonies that sustain the natural world. Susan Hall was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has been a Chicago area resident since 1993. She has exhibited her work throughout the United States, including shows at Lyonswier Packer Gallery in New York City, Thomas Masters Gallery in Chicago, and Butters Gallery in Portland, Oregon. Her honors include an Illinois Arts Council grant, a Georgia Council for the Arts grant, and Best in Show at the Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society's Animal Images exhibition juried by Ed Paschke. Hall received her MFA from the University of Georgia and her BA from Connecticut College.

Susan Hall: Balance

"Sabina Ott: all this and not ordinary" is the first solo exhibition of the artist’s work since her death in 2018, presenting 33 works created in the final years of her career. The exhibition’s title is drawn from a poem in Gertrude Stein’s "Tender Buttons" (1914), a text that remained a pivotal source of inspiration for Ott throughout her life. Employing materials such as polystyrene and spray foam, Ott transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary, constructing works of art that are at once imaginative and dreamlike. For Ott, art offered a space of transformation, a means of turning trauma inside out and reshaping it into forms of play and wonder. This exhibition highlights the depth of her experimental practice and affirms her enduring legacy as an artist who expanded the possibilities of material and meaning.

Sabina Ott: all this and not ordinary

Opening at the Racine Art Museum (RAM) on March 12, 2025,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(247, 143, 57);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.lVpDCVeqdBsS0YynwBNnWsI6uzjI-2B9jc-2BcioV3sOeK-2FjDPvzcE-2F0N1PM-2BTx4Y3zd7FZ-2Bd1Ua-2FLcgXQzE0mtRbw-3D-3D_2Re_a1zzESVdmgLIQ4rlql6kbXT9QXaGGWYBxHAPtO1QqWO5GLp4idxebnEhHBD62PapFGhVibvX636tV4VNXI9Yc1fC3t6I93nvs128KylNuVSG4w8b6TD-2BSQhnOlpvnvnpFtzUMvSCikhZbhybTpfD-2B0ndfu50xgxCFjZQzQqK1fOcTlhX-2BRrO0O4nAgDPUkTGaehksClVOLINAXSjtnUzXR8ZKWwGh0QTjvG3iPLVYcP1XK0LCRdt1sQ26HiP09DlJp7-2BEeaYHrmf0yLvpEVBeX27-2Bo4o3I15g1nbUfpCnnAFVTVTkMvPT9eRTmr7HrsmEnIs7xUu4UKb0NikvQZYBcM7YnX8adZ3hMT5S-2FGRV2eXnUDwiTvGWMtJfSk2gec7x5dVdBaKQpeUrJDHQPJFhg-3D-3D" target="_blank">RAM Showcase: Bodies</a>&nbsp;features works created from clay or washi paper that explore the human body as form and content. This exhibition will remain on display through February 21, 2026.The human figure is often used to tell stories, symbolize existence, and represent the human condition. Featuring works from RAM’s collection,&nbsp;RAM Showcase: Bodies&nbsp;reflects people’s desire to study, analyze, and respond to the notion of the human body, with pieces on display that underscore the enduring artistic interest in the body as subject. The&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(247, 143, 57);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.lVpDCVeqdBsS0YynwBNnWsI6uzjI-2B9jc-2BcioV3sOeK9KXaQ6SLoxPqPiJ1ykV514-2B1mdaYq5n3BVmc6w-2B-2FQgWQ-3D-3Df65z_a1zzESVdmgLIQ4rlql6kbXT9QXaGGWYBxHAPtO1QqWO5GLp4idxebnEhHBD62PapFGhVibvX636tV4VNXI9Yc1fC3t6I93nvs128KylNuVSG4w8b6TD-2BSQhnOlpvnvnpFtzUMvSCikhZbhybTpfD-2B0ndfu50xgxCFjZQzQqK1fOcTlhX-2BRrO0O4nAgDPUkTGaehksClVOLINAXSjtnUzXR8ZKWwGh0QTjvG3iPLVYcODwwQL4fAtoF-2Fq7rWfMz4fjDbJH6uf8-2BsEl7BV4h2Gv7UTGoLpb8LGW7ObuWGLPZzA2KwFMqauzqimyjGEyNVrI-2Bb9eBa6z-2B5RT5h4d-2Bqaysd-2Bh1Dnn72ToJnaCvH1mJcLs6EAPT-2BTclF92v-2BlNnPF0uVT7slnEOdQZbLt-2BmZVvA-3D-3D" target="_blank">RAM Showcase&nbsp;exhibition series</a>&nbsp;at RAM and its second campus, RAM’s Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, focuses entirely on the work of contemporary artists of color. The fact that all of the works in&nbsp;RAM Showcase: Bodies&nbsp;were made by artists of color is a significant additional layer to the subject matter and ways it is depicted. This distinction is critical for some contemporary artists of color, as their work adds narratives to art histories that generally marginalized or excluded them.Individually, the artists represented in this exhibition explore a wide range of issues, including social and cultural dynamics, the sensual body, emotions, the connection between human beings and animals, history, and relationships between duality and otherness. Sometimes self-portraits, sometimes not, the subjects portrayed are envisioned or recorded through flat, drawn images or sculpted forms and reflect vibrant voices and engaging perspectives. Exhibitions at Racine Art Museum are made possible by:&nbsp;Platinum Partners—The Estate of Karen Johnson Boyd, David Charak, Judith and David Flegel Fund, Ron and Judith Isaacs, Racine Community Foundation, United Way of Racine County, Windgate Foundation;&nbsp;Diamond Partners—Ruffo Family Foundation, Ruth Arts Foundation, Diane Zebell;&nbsp;Gold Partners—Anonymous, A. C. Buhler Family, Robert E. Kohler Jr. Fund, Osborne and Scekic Family Foundation, Reliance Controls, Trio Foundation of St. Louis, W.T. Walker Group, Inc., Wisconsin Arts Board;&nbsp;Silver Partners—Anonymous, Sandy and Gus Antonneau, Baird, Lucy G. Feller, Ben and Dawn Flegel, Sharon and Tom Harty, Dave and Judy Hecker, Paula Kalke, Horizon Retail Construction, Inc., Johnson Financial Group, Lang Family Foundation, Dorothy MacVicar, Jan Serr &amp; John Shannon, Sandra Shove, Willard and Mary Walker;&nbsp;Bronze Partners—Carol Baylon, Rose and Peter Christensen, Dave’s Wine Garage, Educators Credit Union, Patricia and Richard Ehlert, Express Employment Professionals, Deborah Ganaway, Carol Griseto, Hitter’s Baseball, SC Johnson, Bill and Debbie Keland, Nancy and Nick Kurten, Susan Manalli, Norbell Foundation, JoAnna Poehlman, Rasmussen Diamonds, Harold and Lois Solberg, Kathy Stanghellini, Tito's, Twin Disc, Janna Waldeck, Barbara Waldman;&nbsp;Media Sponsor—Radio Milwaukee. The two campuses of the Racine Art Museum—RAM in downtown Racine at 441 Main Street and the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts (Wustum) at 2519 Northwestern Avenue—are located in Racine, Wisconsin, a historic community on the shores of Lake Michigan. RAM is home to the largest contemporary craft collection in North America and has a reputation for its award-winning architecture and nationally recognized exhibition program. Wustum is home to the organization's diverse, award-winning art education programs and has presented significant art exhibitions since 1941. Both campuses of the Racine Art Museum are currently open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission rates are $10 for adults; $8 for students, seniors (62+), and veterans; and free for RAM members, children under 12, active military personnel, and NARM, ROAM, and AAM members.

RAM Showcase: Bodies

Inside the&nbsp;Roger Brown Study CollectionOn View at the Art Preserve Opening Saturday, October 11, at the Art Preserve, a new installation brings a selection from artist&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://jmkac.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=972c21ce29cd75dcf33b15668&amp;id=355550f260&amp;e=198a7ee908" target="_blank">Roger Brown</a>’s eclectic Chicago home collection into public view for the first time since its acquisition. Containing over 2,000 works by fellow Chicago Imagists and non-mainstream artists, Brown’s collection reflects his playful sensibility, Southern heritage, and deep admiration for his mentor, artist Ray Yoshida. Visitors will encounter a vibrant mix of folk and Indigenous art, thrift store finds, souvenirs, fine art, costumes, and pop culture objects—all echoing Brown’s unique eye for composition, narrative, and the silhouetted form. This introductory installation—situated near Yoshida’s own home environment collection at the Art Preserve—highlights the visual and conceptual connections between the two artists. Among the featured objects is Brown’s rear stairwell shelf, a striking vignette modeled after Yoshida’s signature shelves, packed with quirky toys, thrifted paintings, and references to artist Jesse Howard. Brown’s love of Southern pottery, mid-century cars, and figures also shines through, offering a rich glimpse into his singular artistic world. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://jmkac.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=972c21ce29cd75dcf33b15668&amp;id=2526874222&amp;e=198a7ee908" target="_blank">Explore the Installation</a>

The Roger Brown Study Collection

<a style="color: rgb(237, 125, 49);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.lVpDCVeqdBsS0YynwBNnWsI6uzjI-2B9jc-2BcioV3sOeK8yW-2BXyw5UQYrM55ZmS7mjePlRYQZlyaKPtMRp0luyHNesq46Np7sE-2F-2FPT2ta0hzX4-3DrDWG_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLQij9mq4AdTVgAgcfJX-2F-2FPTu332zUjMMqljcxl9w9r3NoRmsXeaDJt17yw0Bwdc3Xwn40iqTGYQf4nKFTgHyvqC1JX7YVIcYK01LpLq2CgQ-2FdzxHBkxuepSll1dN5U2zjwahWMisDGxBM-2B2Va361iP-2BPGr0H6PvTvjVGhVJNKfGtNDPbavuE8bnyAogeomoNlnsYTa5SsoMvxvMqQ7JceljQp4sQ4UnA8oE659YoY-2F-2B9NyCYC3qx41foND8EiD9xmT8oA3bL8-2F1HZEEroCpMLEkNlyaB2WuePtkTT6hb4q7csh9U55niPVSACtiVelAng-3D-3D" target="_blank">Monumental: Larger than Life-Size</a>—a new exhibition that invites viewers to explore “oversized” artwork from the museum’s permanent collection—opens at the Racine Art Museum (RAM) on August 1, 2025. This exhibition relates to the question of why human beings are fascinated by “real life” things that are rendered larger or smaller than life-size. Throughout art history, there are many examples of everyday objects that became mysterious or more compelling because of a shift in scale. From oversized body parts and clay vessels to an abnormally large bronze pear, the works on display in&nbsp;Monumental&nbsp;encourage viewers to consider how size affects expectations and opinions of art. RAM Director of Exhibitions and Collections Lena Vigna believes that, depending on a viewer’s perspective, this exhibition could be considered serious, playful, or both:“Oversize fruit, such as the bronze pear and the glass plum, encourages viewers to contemplate complex issues such<s>&nbsp;as</s>&nbsp;the relationship between consumerism, health, and safety. Are bigger and better products good for the environment or our health?” questions Vigna. “At the same time, large ceramic feet and heads are fantastical, calling to mind fairy tales and legends. Reflecting the concerns of contemporary artists who use traditional materials in unexpected ways, the works on display reflect things that are simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar as they blur the boundaries between reality and mystery.”Why are human beings fascinated by “real life” things that are rendered larger or smaller than life-size? Throughout art history, there are many examples of everyday objects that became mysterious or more compelling because of a shift in scale. From oversized body parts and clay vessels to an abnormally large bronze pear, these works from RAM’s collection encourage viewers to consider how size affects their expectations and opinions. On display in RAM’s street-facing Windows on Fifth Gallery,&nbsp;Monumental&nbsp;will be available for continual, free public viewing—24 hours a day, seven days a week. Further information about&nbsp;Monumental&nbsp;is available on RAM’s website,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(237, 125, 49);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.lVpDCVeqdBsS0YynwBNnWsI6uzjI-2B9jc-2BcioV3sOeK8yW-2BXyw5UQYrM55ZmS7mjePlRYQZlyaKPtMRp0luyHNesq46Np7sE-2F-2FPT2ta0hzX4-3D68Mw_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLQij9mq4AdTVgAgcfJX-2F-2FPTu332zUjMMqljcxl9w9r3NoRmsXeaDJt17yw0Bwdc3Xwn40iqTGYQf4nKFTgHyvqC1JX7YVIcYK01LpLq2CgQ-2FdzxHBkxuepSll1dN5U2zjwahWMisDGxBM-2B2Va361iPqPfxW42d4UX-2BEcYUi3JwvltYehZmIc-2BNM5oNTkLrlKdneP79LTAo8eQqYKhBe7ApfubFH63l5xIreTpq4X2-2FLM2OwP2AuroQc26AsyY9i2WBh4Eb25XVgINlB2oaWsOzs2A2G0RTkQXQj35S1rogNT47TPMqCW6apD2KYgQ0yaA-3D-3D" target="_blank">ramart.org</a>.&nbsp;

Monumental: Larger than Life-Size

<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jmkac.org/exhibition/familiar-texture/?utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--3ltRN229IYW6amwf9BwlVoynj9P-wWQnCqcp7iqRNGTlfMqSkuurGL0gvDRvyto79NLfEDi-NC3vxrvl6oHLkgUth4KUD_YekpyhDAXRiMjpD1io&amp;_hsmi=343424237&amp;utm_content=343424237&amp;utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Details</a> Childhood memories of home are reconstructed in the form of textiles and fibers by artists Hangama Amiri, Keith Jackson, Yvette Mayorga, Tressa Prisbrey, and Dalila Sanabria. Each artist presents interior settings such as a bedroom inspired by fantasies, a living room of communal gatherings, or a storage space that marked the passage of time. Each of these sites memorialize social and environmental influences that shaped the future of an individual. The use of or reference to textiles and fibers, such as clothing, blankets, boxes, carpet, or upholstery, imbues memories and feelings with a tactile quality found in the rooms re-created by each artist. Importantly, they do not depict themselves or others in these scenes. This anonymity encourages imagined conversations, interactions, sounds, or scents of homeland to emerge from a variety of perspectives. By relying on textures—both literally and figuratively—the exhibition provides context for domestic spaces where an origin story is found, and a familiar emotional weight is recognized. Together, the works celebrate the right to choose from narratives of the past and how these stories inform and enrich the fiber of one’s being. Image: Yvette Mayorga, Bedroom After 15th (detail), 2022; acrylic piping on Disney TV, purses, shoes, lotion, wooden shelves, lamp, ceramic, bookbag, sneakers, Hello Kitty bubble blower, clock, faux books, mirrors, wood, pillows, wall paintings, nightstand, acrylic piping on bike, acrylic piping on canvas, and video; 9 x 9 x 10 ft. Courtesy of the artist.

Familiar Texture: The Fibers of Childhood and Home

Now in its 59th year,&nbsp;Watercolor Wisconsin&nbsp;was started in 1966 to honor the depth and breadth of watercolor in the state.Jurors Jessica Cochran and Peggy Macnamara will select work for the 2025 exhibition. Jessica Cochran is the Deputy Director of the Renaissance Society, an independent contemporary art museum on the University of Chicago campus. She has worked as a curator, administrator, consultant, and educator in the realm of contemporary art for 20 years. Peggy Macnamara has served as the Artist-in-Residence at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History since 1990 and as an Adjunct Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago since 2001. Image: Carlotta Miller, Soaring Renovation, 2024, Watercolor, 34 1/4 x 23 1/4 inches, Racine Art Museum, Helen Rusk Memorial Purchase Award from&nbsp;Watercolor Wisconsin 2024, Photography: Tyler Potter

Watercolor Wisconsin 2025

<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jmkac.org/exhibition/a-beautiful-experience/?utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_TAgiwr9CcUCqp8PARBnetZDmy4oA4M6rKVEblEJGj0fYaKmL0n8Naot67z_PVofiAcW7Sb0wnbX5AHJQODsWXa0U2UYeyKUnYSDhaHXxDMn2lHxQ&amp;_hsmi=343424237&amp;utm_content=343424237&amp;utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Details</a> A Beautiful Experience: The Midwest Grotto Tradition&nbsp;takes its title from a slogan found on years of brochures, maps, and swag from the Dickeyville Grotto in Wisconsin. It is one of several grottoes found throughout the region. These sites began to inspire pilgrimage, tourism, reflection, and community gathering during the 1910s. This exhibition looks at their continuing influence on artists and visitors alike. Materially, midwestern grottoes often reflect local industries, decorative trends, and an area’s geological makeup. Grotto architecture mainly comprises concrete embellished with objects including shells, marbles, colored glass, toys, figurines, fossils, and geodes. This accumulation, as well as the objects incorporated, creates a documentation of the maker’s life, faith, and home. Madeline Buol is one of the few known women grotto builders. The materials she utilized include figurines and stones gathered during her travels. She had a special affinity for shells of all shapes and sizes. The exhibition is the first public showing of Buol’s monumental thirteen-piece grotto since it was saved from the artist’s yard in 2011 by the Kohler Foundation, Inc. It was then gifted to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. In addition to Buol’s grotto,&nbsp;A Beautiful Experience&nbsp;includes objects related to the Midwest grottoes that directly inspired her, such as the Dickeyville Grotto, Jacob Baker’s “dream houses,” the Rudolph Grotto, and the Wegner Grotto. The exhibition illustrates the material histories of these grottoes and strategies for their conservation. Visitors are offered opportunities to learn about the legacy and care of Midwest grotto sites. A Beautiful Experience&nbsp;also includes new work by Stephanie Shih and E. Saffronia Downing, each responding to the grotto tradition. Shih presents a work inspired by Jacob Baker and Chinese immigration in the U.S. Downing shares her explorations of clay and material foraging throughout the Midwest, providing insight into material studies for the concrete and construction materials often invented and improvised upon by grotto builders. Image: Madeline Buol, Buol Grotto and Sculptures (site view, n.d.), Dubuque, IA, 1946–c. 1960. Photo courtesy of Pam Mendenhall.

A Beautiful Experience: The Midwest Grotto Tradition

The Door County Contemporary Art Fair will be held at the Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek, Wisconsin from June 4 to June 6, 2026. For the second year the three-day program will introduce art to art enthusiasts in an event yet unseen in Wisconsin. It was born from the desire to address a lack of contemporary art in an otherwise culturally enriched and dynamic destination. And to do it with an enthusiasm that embraces the energy, vision, and welcoming spirit of the region. DCC will host 14 art galleries from Wisconsin and beyond while welcoming thousands of art lovers from around the United States. It will also feature a wealth of site-specific art works and projects, plenty of Wisconsin-centric food and drink, and curated events and art-related projects. Door County Contemporary will be more than an art fair, it will be a three-day celebration of art and ideas. All of it set against the backdrop of one of the America’s greatest geographical settings–a brilliant contrast of perspectives that will make it a truly memorable and unique occasion. DCC hopes to leave visitors feeling they’ve married the best of fine art with the idiosyncratic swagger of the region, meant to resonate long after its visitors exit State Highway 42/57. The events, the setting, the tastes and smells, and of course the world class art will create something far greater than the sum of its eclectic parts: woodsy tradition and bleeding-edge cultural objects; Spotted Cows and conceptual art; and all the best things talented humans can deliver to the world to make it worth inhabiting.<a style="color: rgb(255, 254, 252);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.doorcountycontemporary.com/application" target="_blank">Application</a> Door County Contemporary<a style="color: inherit;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:info@doorcountycontemporary.com" target="_blank">info@doorcountycontemporary.com</a>

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