Prize Winners Announced

On December 11, 2016, Racine Art Museum’s (RAM’s) Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts continued a longstanding Racine tradition with the opening of Watercolor Wisconsin 2016. As one of the museum’s most popular annual shows, this exhibition brings together the works of artists from throughout the state. Featuring 98 pieces by 75 artists from communities in all corners of Wisconsin, this year’s show will be on display until April 22, 2017.

Now in their fiftieth year, Watercolor Wisconsin exhibitions have established RAM’s Wustum Museum as a center for watercolor activity in the Midwest. Encouraged to experiment and explore all the possibilities of painting on paper, the artists in the show have created works as diverse as their own imaginations. Online entry has continued to expand the diversity of cities represented.

Of 272 pieces submitted by 155 artists, approximately one-third of the pieces were chosen for this year’s show. Three new works from the 2016 competition have been purchased for RAM’s permanent collection, adding to the museum’s holdings of extraordinary Wisconsin artists.

Congratulations to:
First Award
Steve Horvath, Light and Shade

Second Award
Harry Wirth, Frontier

Third Award
Christina Miller, A Space-Cowboy Adventure… Rocket Rodeo Round-up!!
For a complete list of winners, please visit ramart.org.

Artists in the Exhibition: Appleton: Gary Hanks; Brookfield: Julia F. McMurray; Burlington: Jimmy Yanny; Cedarburg: Patrick Doughman, Sandra Pape; Franksville: Sue Horton; Fredonia: Tim Day; Glendale: Kathleen Bergstrom; Grafton: Wallis Coffman, Jean Crane; Hales Corners: Betty A. Storey; Hartford: Harold E. Hansen, Barbara Sorenson Rambadt; Janesville: Connie Glowacki; Kenosha: Dennis Bayuzick, James Block, Judy Gotta, Sande Jensen, Robert Marcella, Beverly J. Mich, Carlotta Miller, Paula Touhey, Greg Uttech, Rebecca Venn; Madison: Randal Feig, Linda P. Hancock, Doug Haynes, Brian McCormick; Mequon: Kathleen Nelson, Alice Struck; Middleton: Michael Kratochwill; Milwaukee: Michael D. Andrysczyk, Joyce Eesley, Steve Horvath, Matt Kuhlman, Kiefer Ledell, Susan Leopold, JoAnna Poehlmann; Mount Pleasant: Robert W. Andersen; Nashotah: Alice Rossman; Neenah: Kathryn Wedge; New Berlin: Julie San Felipe; Oak Creek: Al Minzlaff; Oconomowoc: Virgilyn Driscoll; Racine: Jerry Belland, Mary Burant, Ellen Cardwell, Lisa Englander, Maureen Fritchen, Christopher Johns, Edwin Kalke, Jeff Kosmala, John Krewal, Karen Mathis, Sharon Mellberg, Lance Raichert, Linda Somogyi, Susan M. Sorenson, Dina Walker, Sue Wolff; Salem:  Harry Wirth; Waterford: Norman Abplanalp, Linda Gerard Dzik, Edith Kubicek; Waukesha: Bruce Boeck; Wausau: Diane Shabino; Wauwatosa: Chris Sommerfelt; Whitefish Bay: Anne Miotke; Whitewater: Christine B. Miller, Linda Tump; Williams Bay: Lynne Railsback

Experts from outside the state jury each annual competition, selecting the works to be included, as well as the awards. Peter Power-Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Print Media at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago-and Doug Stapleton, Associate Curator of Art with the Illinois State Museum Chicago Gallery-an adjunct faculty in the Interdisciplinary Arts graduate program at Columbia College Chicago, and a visual artist-juried this year’s show.

This exhibition is made possible by: Platinum Sponsors – Karen Johnson Boyd and William B. Boyd, SC Johnson, Windgate Charitable Foundation; Diamond Sponsor: Osborne and Scekic Family Foundation; Gold Sponsors – Herzfeld Foundation, Johnson Bank, National Endowment for the Arts, Racine Community Foundation, W. T. Walker Group, Inc.; Silver Sponsors – Andis Foundation, Real Racine, Runzheimer International Ltd., United Way Racine County, Wisconsin Arts Board; Bronze Sponsors – Burlington Graphic Systems, Inc., CNH Industrial, EC Styberg Foundation, Educators Credit Union, In Sink Erator, The Norbell Foundation, Orkney Springs Retreat, Rasmussen Diamonds, Southern Connecticut Polymer Clay Guild, Wisconsin Public Radio

Together, 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 at 2519 Northwestern Avenue, seek to elevate the stature of contemporary crafts to that of fine art by exhibiting significant works in craft media with painting, sculpture and photography, while providing outstanding educational art programming.

Docent led contemporary craft and architectural tours of the museums are available. Both campuses of the Racine Art Museum, are open to the public Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, and are closed Mondays, Federal holidays and Easter. RAM is open Sunday Noon – 5:00 pm, while Wustum is closed Sundays. An admission fee of $5 for adults, with reduced fees for students and seniors, applies at RAM. Admission to Wustum is free. Members are always admitted without charge to either campus.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.