Adventures in Wisconsin

Founded in 2017 by Wally and Amanda Koval, Accidentally Wes Anderson (AWA) began as a personal Instagram project inspired by a shared passion for travel and adventure. It has grown into a global community of more than 2 million travelers, photographers, designers, artists, and cultural explorers celebrating real places that evoke the distinctive visual world of Wes Anderson.

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The photographs of Accidentally Wes Anderson reveal a world where symmetry, color, and distinctive details can transform everyday places into extraordinary scenes. Paired with quirky pieces from RAM’s collection and select loans featuring animals, including the work of Cassandra Smith, Betsy Youngquist, and Scott Long, Accidentally Wes Anderson: Adventures in Wisconsin invites visitors to give the familiar a second look through a series of vignettes that lead viewers on a whimsical adventure. This exhibition brings together a unique combination of artworks; telling stories through artistic taxidermy, sculpture, art jewelry, works on paper, and more, combined with community-sourced photographs in Wes Anderson’s iconic style.

Racine is a fitting place for the Midwestern premiere of Accidentally Wes Anderson because of its own distinctive sense of place. Its offbeat local character—from iconic lighthouses and Frank Lloyd Wright architecture to the retro charm of the HobNob Supper Club, Mars Cheese Castle, and Wisconsin’s enduring summer-camp traditions—reflects the same spirit of unexpected wonder found in the exhibition’s photographs. Accidentally Wes Anderson: Adventures in Wisconsin explores how the ordinary can become remarkable with the right perspective.

Wes Anderson is a modern auteur: a film director, a producer, and a screenwriter. He is famed for his atypical directorial style as witnessed in the multi-awarded Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Asteroid City (2023), among many others. He is recognized for his unique visual and narrative approach, all painted in colorful imagery, sometimes animated or scaled in miniature models.

Entry Deadline: Sunday, November 15

All works must be submitted through the AWA website.

View Requirements and Submit Work

Platinum Partners—Anonymous, The Estate of Karen Johnson Boyd, Ron and Judith Isaacs, Racine Community Foundation, The Estate of Marilyn Rothschild, Windgate Foundation; Diamond Partners—David Charak, Ruffo Family Foundation, Ruth Arts Foundation, Travel Wisconsin, Diane Zebell; Gold Partners—Judith and David Flegel Fund, Osborne and Scekic Family Foundation, Reliance Controls Community Fund, W.T. Walker Group, Inc.; Silver Partners—Anonymous, Anonymous, Bader Philanthropies, Baird, A.C. Buhler Family, Dave’s Wine Garage, Paula and E.L. Donovitz Memorial Endowment Fund, Ben and Dawn Flegel, Tom Harty, Horizon Retail Construction, Inc., Johnson Financial Group, Robert E. Kohler Jr. Fund, Luanne Frey and Mark Lukow, Sheri and Frank Sullivan, Visit Racine County, We Energies Foundation, Wisconsin Arts Board; Bronze Partners—Sandy and Gus Antonneau, Carol Baylon, Susan Boland, Rose and Peter Christensen, Educators Credit Union, Julia Ann Oas and Don Gloo, Carol Griseto, Hitters Baseball, Debbie and Chuck Hoffman, Susan and Dan Horton, Gary Van Wert and Ronald Jacquart, SC Johnson, Paula Kalke, Bill and Debbie Keland, Nancy Kurten, Susan Manalli, Norbell Foundation, O&H Danish Bakery, Rita Petretti, Rasmussen Diamonds, Harold and Lois Solberg, E.C. Styberg Foundation, Twin Disc, Marc J. Wollman, Amy and Robb Woulfe; Media Sponsor—Radio Milwaukee