Video by Reservoir Video Co.
Nicole Acosta: HOOPS—Beyond the Aesthetic Lies the Story
August 28 – November 23, 2024
at RAM’s Wustum Museum
The study of existence emerges through images, film, and story found in the HOOPS Project. This body of work expresses themes like reclamation, power, belonging, and place. All of which inspire and advance conversations around erasure, decolonization, and representation. HOOPS also considers culture, storytelling, memory, and ritual as a mode to go beyond traditional archives.
—Nicole Acosta
Milwaukee-based artist Nicole Acosta draws on the cultural history of adornment to create portraits of individuals in hoop earrings. Acosta gathers the voices of people as they share stories prompted by the question, “What do hoop earrings mean to you?” More than just documentation, Acosta’s images evoke the personality of the sitter and engage in a dialogue about the symbolic power of jewelry beyond aesthetic choice.
Hoop-shaped earrings have ancient historical lineage—pinpointing the earliest known usage is difficult, but there are known examples from across the world. Over time, they have come to symbolize womanhood, pride, and empowerment. When they pass down through generations as heirloom objects, they uphold these associations while acquiring new layers of meaning.
Acosta has documented stories, images, and ideas from over 100 individuals countrywide. Her work addresses hoop earrings on multiple levels—as agents of personal choice and expression and as symbols of social and cultural dynamics. In addition to centering perspectives that have not often been shared, Acosta’s project addresses social and cultural representations of Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, and other individuals of the global majority. Within contemporary photography, she expands the dialogue of who gets to photograph what and why while also continuing a rich, if not always acknowledged, legacy of Latinx photographers.
More About the Exhibition
Owing to the award of an Equity Innovation Fund grant from the United Way of Racine County, RAM is organizing three different exhibitions and multiple community outreach programs that feature Mexican American artists Nicole Acosta and René Amado. Both artists use their work to address cultural identity—often centering a multidisciplinary approach that highlights their perspectives as artists of color and offers a dynamic platform to examine and reframe personal, social, and cultural issues.
Programs such as these are vital as they spotlight significant voices of color. Acosta and Amado speak to their heritage while adding to the dynamism of the contemporary art landscape and offering perspectives that can potentially engage those not otherwise inclined to visit contemporary art museums. Additionally, these two regional artists reflect the strength of creativity in the area.
Nicole Acosta: HOOPS—Beyond the Aesthetic Lies the Story
August 28 – November 23, 2024
at RAM’s Wustum Museum
Video by Reservoir Video Co.
The study of existence emerges through images, film, and story found in the HOOPS Project. This body of work expresses themes like reclamation, power, belonging, and place. All of which inspire and advance conversations around erasure, decolonization, and representation. HOOPS also considers culture, storytelling, memory, and ritual as a mode to go beyond traditional archives.
—Nicole Acosta
Milwaukee-based artist Nicole Acosta draws on the cultural history of adornment to create portraits of individuals in hoop earrings. Acosta gathers the voices of people as they share stories prompted by the question, “What do hoop earrings mean to you?” More than just documentation, Acosta’s images evoke the personality of the sitter and engage in a dialogue about the symbolic power of jewelry beyond aesthetic choice.
Hoop-shaped earrings have ancient historical lineage—pinpointing the earliest known usage is difficult, but there are known examples from across the world. Over time, they have come to symbolize womanhood, pride, and empowerment. When they pass down through generations as heirloom objects, they uphold these associations while acquiring new layers of meaning.
Acosta has documented stories, images, and ideas from over 100 individuals countrywide. Her work addresses hoop earrings on multiple levels—as agents of personal choice and expression and as symbols of social and cultural dynamics. In addition to centering perspectives that have not often been shared, Acosta’s project addresses social and cultural representations of Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, and other individuals of the global majority. Within contemporary photography, she expands the dialogue of who gets to photograph what and why while also continuing a rich, if not always acknowledged, legacy of Latinx photographers.
More About the Exhibition
Owing to the award of an Equity Innovation Fund grant from the United Way of Racine County, RAM is organizing three different exhibitions and multiple community outreach programs that feature Mexican American artists Nicole Acosta and René Amado. Both artists use their work to address cultural identity—often centering a multidisciplinary approach that highlights their perspectives as artists of color and offers a dynamic platform to examine and reframe personal, social, and cultural issues.
Programs such as these are vital as they spotlight significant voices of color. Acosta and Amado speak to their heritage while adding to the dynamism of the contemporary art landscape and offering perspectives that can potentially engage those not otherwise inclined to visit contemporary art museums. Additionally, these two regional artists reflect the strength of creativity in the area.
Sample of Work from Nicole Acosta’s The HOOPS Project
Click/tap an image for more information
Exhibitions at RAM are made possible by:
Platinum Partners
Anonymous
The Estate of Karen Johnson Boyd
Ron and Judith Isaacs
The Estate of Marilyn Rothschild
Windgate Foundation
Diamond Partners
David Charak
Ruffo Family Foundation
Ruth Arts Foundation
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
Wisconsin Arts Board
Bronze Partners
Sandy and Gus Antonneau
Carol Baylon
Susan Boland
Rose and Peter Christensen
Educators Credit Union
Carol Griseto
Julia Ann Oas and Don Gloo
Hitter’s Baseball
Debbie and Chuck Hoffman
Susan and Dan Horton
Gary Van Wert and Ronald Jacquart
Paula Kalke
Bill and Debbie Keland
Nancy Kurten
Susan Manalli
Norbell Foundation
O&H Danish Bakery
Rita Petretti
Rasmussen Diamonds
SC Johnson
Harold and Lois Solberg
Twin Disc
Marc J. Wollman
Amy and Robb Woulfe
Media Sponsor
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