Racine Art Museum Debuts Virtual Community Art Exhibition

In the contemporary context of a pandemic, the idea that a virus could take over has been top of mind for many people. The concept of organic invasion or intrusion is not necessarily limited to biological subjects. Playing to this idea, Racine Art Museum (RAM) and RAM’s Wustum Museum of Fine Arts in Racine, Wisconsin invited artists to submit work to Alien Invasion: RAM Virtual Community Art Show, the museum’s second-ever virtual exhibition. Existing online at ramart.org and accessible via tablets in the RAM galleries, this show will officially run from July 21, 2021 through January 22, 2022, but will remain available online even after the formal in-person closing date.

This virtual exhibition features 57 works by 58 artists from around the world—including pieces by artists who reside as far away as Saint-Eustache, Quebec; Shanghai, China; and Westport, Ireland. The works included touch upon ideas of organic invasion and intrusion, and reflect the originality and imagination of contemporary artists through a wide variety of materials.

Unique to the RAM Virtual Community Art Show is the option for viewers to vote on their favorite artwork. Announced after the formal run of the exhibition, the three artists whose pieces are voted as Audience Favorites will receive gift certificates for free studio art classes, which are offered in-person and online.

Exhibitions at Racine Art Museum are made possible by: Platinum Sponsors—Anonymous, Nicholas and Nancy Kurten, Wingate Foundation, Wisconsin Department of Administration; Diamond Sponsors—Osborne and Scekic Family Foundation, Ruffo Family Foundation; Gold Sponsors—Anonymous, David Charak, Tom and Irene Creecy, David Flegel, Herzfeld Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Racine Community Foundation, Kathy Robins, Trio Foundation of St. Louis, W.T. Walker Group, Inc., Wisconsin Arts Board; Silver Sponsors—A.C. Buhler Family, Andis Foundation, Lucy G. Feller, Ben and Dawn Flegel, Ron and Judith Isaacs, Johnson Bank, Bill Keland, Dorothy MacVicar, RDK Foundation, Inc., Real Racine, Twin Disc, Inc.; Bronze Sponsors—Anonymous, Susan Boland, Virginia Buhler, Educators Credit Union, Fredrick and Deborah Ganaway, Tom and Sharon Harty, Andrea and Tony Hauser, The Norbell Foundation, Bill and Mary Walker; Media Sponsors—88Nine Radio Milwaukee, Wisconsin Public Radio.

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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.

Both campuses of the Racine Art Museum are currently operating with limited hours, open Wednesday through Saturday from Noon to 4:00 pm. Both museums encourage all visitors and staff who have not been fully vaccinated, and those who feel more comfortable wearing a mask, to continue doing so in public areas at RAM and RAM’s Wustum Museum of Fine Arts. Masks are still required for in-person art classes and workshops at Wustum.

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.