Michael Lucero
Chihuahua in a Teacup Teapot from the New World Series, 1993
Glazed white earthenware
14 x 9 x 8 inches
Racine Art Museum, Gift of Linda Brooks Sullivan
Photography: Michael Tropea, Chicago

Animal Magnetism: Sculpture from RAM’s Collection

June 2 – October 21, 2012

Animal Magnetism: Sculpture from RAM’s Collection highlights selected artworks from the Racine Art Museum’s permanent craft collection that respond to the wonder, mystery, and presence of the natural world by incorporating animals into their artistic explorations as subject, pattern, decoration, and symbol.

Animals have long been utilized as “characters” in cultural stories, myths, and visual imagery. Museums are often full of objects and images that incorporate animals—on the periphery of human-focused stories, as primary characters, as compositional elements in pattern and design, and to provide material elements (e.g. leather, bone, feather, and fish skin). Whether acting as symbols for ideas or human personality types, or representing the animal kingdom more directly, animals play important roles in our social fabric as well as our everyday lives.

Presenting 75 works of clay, glass, polymer, and metal from 57 artists, this exhibition features primarily three-dimensional works that reference or incorporate animals. A companion exhibition at RAM’s Wustum Museum includes mainly two-dimensional works that use animals as subject matter. Both exhibitions, drawn from RAM’s collection, highlight a diversity of materials and a variety in approaches to one topic.

More About the Exhibition

Press Room

Artists in the Exhibition

Ralph Bacerra, Carolyn Morris Bach, Boris Bally, Susan Beiner, Christopher A. Berti, Christina Bothwell, Ken Bova, Frank Boyden, Pierre Cavalan, Phillip Cornelius, Cristina Cordova, Jaclyn Davidson, Jack Earl, Kenneth Ferguson, Lisa Fidler, Gwen Gibson, David James Gihooly, Linda Goff, Danielle Gori-Montanelli, Geoffrey Gorman, Chris Griffin, Jon Groth, Laurie J. Hall, Laurie Hogin, Eric Hopkins, Robert Hudson, Jeff Irwin, Margaret Ponce Israel, Janel Jacobson, Donna Kato, Esther Knobel, Mark Kobasz, David Levi, Harvey K. Littleton, Ken Loeber, Michael Lucero, Maggie Maggio, Wendy Wallin Manilow, Deborah Masouka, Dennis Meiners, Ronald G. Meyers, Carol Moty, Douglas Peck, Bill Reid, Gehard Ribka, Nan Roche, ROY, Red Weldon Sandlin, Scott Schoenherr, Sandy Shaw, Kiff Slemmons, Bill Stewart, Lizbeth Stewart, Mara Superior, Susan Thayer, Alan Burton Thompson, Cynthia Toops, David Williamson, Roberta Williamson, and Hiroshi Yamano

Animal Magnetism: Sculpture from RAM’s Collection

June 2 – October 21, 2012
Michael Lucero
Chihuahua in a Teacup Teapot from the New World Series, 1993
Glazed white earthenware
14 x 9 x 8 inches
Racine Art Museum, Gift of Linda Brooks Sullivan
Photography: Michael Tropea, Chicago

Animal Magnetism: Sculpture from RAM’s Collection highlights selected artworks from the Racine Art Museum’s permanent craft collection that respond to the wonder, mystery, and presence of the natural world by incorporating animals into their artistic explorations as subject, pattern, decoration, and symbol.

Animals have long been utilized as “characters” in cultural stories, myths, and visual imagery. Museums are often full of objects and images that incorporate animals—on the periphery of human-focused stories, as primary characters, as compositional elements in pattern and design, and to provide material elements (e.g. leather, bone, feather, and fish skin). Whether acting as symbols for ideas or human personality types, or representing the animal kingdom more directly, animals play important roles in our social fabric as well as our everyday lives.

Presenting 75 works of clay, glass, polymer, and metal from 57 artists, this exhibition features primarily three-dimensional works that reference or incorporate animals. A companion exhibition at RAM’s Wustum Museum includes mainly two-dimensional works that use animals as subject matter. Both exhibitions, drawn from RAM’s collection, highlight a diversity of materials and a variety in approaches to one topic.

More About the Exhibition

Press Room

Artists in the Exhibition

Ralph Bacerra, Carolyn Morris Bach, Boris Bally, Susan Beiner, Christopher A. Berti, Christina Bothwell, Ken Bova, Frank Boyden, Pierre Cavalan, Phillip Cornelius, Cristina Cordova, Jaclyn Davidson, Jack Earl, Kenneth Ferguson, Lisa Fidler, Gwen Gibson, David James Gihooly, Linda Goff, Danielle Gori-Montanelli, Geoffrey Gorman, Chris Griffin, Jon Groth, Laurie J. Hall, Laurie Hogin, Eric Hopkins, Robert Hudson, Jeff Irwin, Margaret Ponce Israel, Janel Jacobson, Donna Kato, Esther Knobel, Mark Kobasz, David Levi, Harvey K. Littleton, Ken Loeber, Michael Lucero, Maggie Maggio, Wendy Wallin Manilow, Deborah Masouka, Dennis Meiners, Ronald G. Meyers, Carol Moty, Douglas Peck, Bill Reid, Gehard Ribka, Nan Roche, ROY, Red Weldon Sandlin, Scott Schoenherr, Sandy Shaw, Kiff Slemmons, Bill Stewart, Lizbeth Stewart, Mara Superior, Susan Thayer, Alan Burton Thompson, Cynthia Toops, David Williamson, Roberta Williamson, and Hiroshi Yamano

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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