Mary Smul
Willow, 2011
Found needlepoint and yarn
Courtesy of the Artist
Photography: Aaron Igler, Greenhouse Media LLC

Twenty-First Century Heirlooms

April 28 – September 15, 2013

The notion of an heirloom often describes objects “passed down” to family and friends. It suggests an intimate connection or—at a minimum—a relationship between something past and something present (and, hopefully, something future). This exhibition will use the work of contemporary artists to investigate heirlooms as ideas—as links between generations and communities, as concepts to modify or embellish, as techniques to master or modify, and as objects to treasure or refuse.

Featuring artists at various phases in their careers and objects crafted from a variety of different media, Twenty-First Century Heirlooms is a large-scale exhibition that offers a context for exploring what we value today and why. From brooches that use famous Western paintings as reference points to sculptures made of accumulations of recycled twentieth-century pressed glass, as well as fast food containers made of silver, the work included in this show expands and challenges how we define heirlooms in the twenty-first century.

Artists in the Exhibition

Chris Antemann, Lucrezia Bieler, Melanie Bilenker, Ashley Buchanan, Linda Cordell, Amber Cowan, Kim Cridler, Venetia Dale, Jack Earl, Michelle Erickson, Diane Falkenhagen, Susan Taylor Glasgow, Heirloom Couture/Joanne Kliejunas, Yevgeniya Kaganovich, Beth Lipman, Maggie Meister, Myra Mimlitsch-Gray, Susan Myers, emiko oye, Donna Sharrett, Christina Smith, Mary Smull, Kimberlie Tatalick, Jennifer Trask, Jonathan Wahl, and Stacey Lee Webber

Twenty-First Century Heirlooms

April 28 – September 15, 2013
Mary Smul
Willow, 2011
Found needlepoint and yarn
Courtesy of the Artist
Photography: Aaron Igler, Greenhouse Media LLC

The notion of an heirloom often describes objects “passed down” to family and friends. It suggests an intimate connection or—at a minimum—a relationship between something past and something present (and, hopefully, something future). This exhibition will use the work of contemporary artists to investigate heirlooms as ideas—as links between generations and communities, as concepts to modify or embellish, as techniques to master or modify, and as objects to treasure or refuse.

Featuring artists at various phases in their careers and objects crafted from a variety of different media, Twenty-First Century Heirlooms is a large-scale exhibition that offers a context for exploring what we value today and why. From brooches that use famous Western paintings as reference points to sculptures made of accumulations of recycled twentieth-century pressed glass, as well as fast food containers made of silver, the work included in this show expands and challenges how we define heirlooms in the twenty-first century.

Artists in the Exhibition

Chris Antemann, Lucrezia Bieler, Melanie Bilenker, Ashley Buchanan, Linda Cordell, Amber Cowan, Kim Cridler, Venetia Dale, Jack Earl, Michelle Erickson, Diane Falkenhagen, Susan Taylor Glasgow, Heirloom Couture/Joanne Kliejunas, Yevgeniya Kaganovich, Beth Lipman, Maggie Meister, Myra Mimlitsch-Gray, Susan Myers, emiko oye, Donna Sharrett, Christina Smith, Mary Smull, Kimberlie Tatalick, Jennifer Trask, Jonathan Wahl, and Stacey Lee Webber

Gallery of Work

Exhibitions at RAM are made possible by:

Platinum Sponsors

The Estate of Karen Johnson Boyd
David Charak
Judith and David Flegel Fund
Ron and Judith Isaacs
Racine Community Foundation logo
United Way Of Racine County logo
Barbara Waldman
Windgate Foundation

Diamond Sponsors

Ruffo Family Foundation
Ruth Foundation for the Arts

Gold Sponsors

Anonymous
Osborne and Scekic Family Foundation
Trio Foundation of St. Louis
W.T. Walker Group, Inc.
Wisconsin Arts Board 50th Anniversary Logo

Silver Sponsors

Anonymous
Baird
Ben and Dawn Flegel
Friends of Fiber Art International
Sharon and Tom Harty
Dave and Judy Hecker
Horizon Retail Construction, Inc.
Johnson Financial Group
Lang Family Foundation
Dorothy MacVicar
Jan Serr & John Shannon

Bronze Sponsors

Dave’s Wine Garage
Educators Credit Union
Express Employment Professionals
Lucy G. Feller
Hitter’s Baseball
SC Johnson
Bill and Debbie Keland
Susan Manalli
Norbell Foundation
JoAnna Poehlmann
Rasmussen Diamonds
Tito’s
Twin Disc

Media Sponsor

Radio Milwaukee logo

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