RAM Festive Forest 2025
Photography: Rachel Comande
RAM Festive Forest
November 21, 2025 – January 3, 2026
at Racine Art Museum
To add glow and glimmer to Main Street, RAM presents a re-imagined annual favorite, RAM Festive Forest. Framing the beautiful view of Lake Michigan, these illuminated conifers are adorned with a selection of glass ornaments from a variety of time periods and subjects—many from late Racine, Wisconsin gallerist and arts supporter Emile H. Mathis II’s collection. Visitors are encouraged to look for unique decorations like octopi and soup cans fashioned in glass alongside more traditional festive creations.
Mathis spent years collecting ornaments for an 11-foot artificial tree that he decorated each year to display in his gallery on Main Street. This tree became a part of the annual Christmas celebrations that took place in Racine’s downtown each year. In addition to establishing The Emile H. Mathis II Fund for Children’s Education when he died in 2012, Mathis gave the museum a cache of handcrafted blown glass ornaments. RAM is pleased to continue a tradition Mathis started in downtown Racine by presenting its own version of what was once called “the most beautifully decorated tree in Racine” by decorating a grouping of trees with Mathis’ treasured ornaments.
RAM Festive Forest
November 21, 2025 – January 3, 2026
at Racine Art Museum
RAM Festive Forest 2025
Photography: Rachel Comande
To add glow and glimmer to Main Street, RAM presents a re-imagined annual favorite, RAM Festive Forest. Framing the beautiful view of Lake Michigan, these illuminated conifers are adorned with a selection of glass ornaments from a variety of time periods and subjects—many from late Racine, Wisconsin gallerist and arts supporter Emile H. Mathis II’s collection. Visitors are encouraged to look for unique decorations like octopi and soup cans fashioned in glass alongside more traditional festive creations.
Mathis spent years collecting ornaments for an 11-foot artificial tree that he decorated each year to display in his gallery on Main Street. This tree became a part of the annual Christmas celebrations that took place in Racine’s downtown each year. In addition to establishing The Emile H. Mathis II Fund for Children’s Education when he died in 2012, Mathis gave the museum a cache of handcrafted blown glass ornaments. RAM is pleased to continue a tradition Mathis started in downtown Racine by presenting its own version of what was once called “the most beautifully decorated tree in Racine” by decorating a grouping of trees with Mathis’ treasured ornaments.
Gallery of Work
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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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