About RAM
Mission
The Racine Art Museum Association, Inc. is dedicated to the exhibition, education, collection and preservation of contemporary visual arts.
Collections
The Racine Art Museum houses one of North America's most significant collections of contemporary crafts. With a permanent collection of more than 6,500 objects, half of these pieces represent the museum's focus on contemporary crafts from internationally recognized artists in ceramics, fibers, glass, metals and wood. The remaining items in the collection are a combination of 1930s art from the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project, which was the museum's first acquisition, along with works on paper, paintings and sculpture.
Focus
Presenting work from artists who create meaningful statements in craft media, RAM dispels any differentiation between fine arts and crafts and between the artist and the craftsperson. Exhibitions at RAM emphasize ideas behind the artwork, rather than following strict media categories. RAM also plays a vital role in arts education through Wustum Museum, where it offers community outreach programs, studio art classes and workshops taught by regionally and nationally known artists working in craft media.
2010 Governor's Award
Arts Digest Features RAM
Architecture
Award winning Chicago-based architects Brininstool + Lynch reinvented the downtown Racine space into a 46,000 square foot museum designed specifically for RAM's permanent collection. Its glowing facade and street level galleries stand as cultural beacons, drawing the attention of passers-by both night and day. The RAM facility includes exhibition galleries, a sculpture courtyard, a Museum Store, an Art Library and research center, art storage and preparation areas, as well as administrative offices.
As a sustainable project, the museum incorporates new technologies and products, such as recycled rubber flooring to reduce negative environmental impact. RAM is one of the first museums to use flat screen video monitors in place of traditional informational and exhibit signage.
History
In 1938, Jennie E. Wustum donated her house, property and a small trust fund to the City of Racine to establish an art museum and park in memory of her husband, Charles. Formally founded in 1941, the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts grew from a small collection of WPA-era art into an impressive contemporary craft collection. The collection continued to outgrow the Wustum Museum until only about 10% of it could be exhibited in one year.
Community
The Racine Art Museum is located in downtown Racine, Wisconsin, a historic community on the shores of Lake Michigan. Racine is a city with a tradition of supporting art and architecture. It is home to Frank Lloyd Wright's SC Johnson Wax Administration Building, as well as several Wright homes including Wingspread, which was built for the Johnson family.
For more information about RAM, please call 262.638.8300.
