RAM Holiday Tree 2024
Photography: CJ Foeckler
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 Holiday Tree 2024
Photography: CJ Foeckler
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
The Estate of Karen Johnson Boyd
David Charak
Judith and David Flegel Fund
Ron and Judith Isaacs
The Estate of Marilyn Rothschild
Windgate Foundation
Diamond Partners
Ruffo Family Foundation
Ruth Arts Foundation
Diane Zebell
Gold Partners
Anonymous
Robert E. Kohler Jr. Fund
Osborne and Scekic Family Foundation
Reliance Controls
Trio Foundation of St. Louis
W.T. Walker Group, Inc.
Silver Partners
Anonymous
Bader Philanthropies
Baird
Dave’s Wine Garage
Lucy G. Feller
Ben and Dawn Flegel
Sharon and Tom Harty
Paula Kalke
Horizon Retail Construction, Inc.
Johnson Financial Group
Dorothy MacVicar
Willard and Mary Walker
Bronze Partners
Sandy and Gus Antonneau
Carol Baylon
Rose and Peter Christensen
Educators Credit Union
Patricia and Richard Ehlert
Deborah Ganaway
Carol Griseto
Hitter’s Baseball
Bill and Debbie Keland
Susan Manalli
Norbell Foundation
O&H Danish Bakery
JoAnna Poehlmann
Rasmussen Diamonds
SC Johnson
Harold and Lois Solberg
Kathy Stranghellini
Twin Disc
Janna Waldeck
Barbara Waldman
Marc J. Wollman
Media Sponsor
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The Racine Art Museum and RAM’s Wustum Museum work together to serve as a community resource, with spaces for discovery, creation, and connection. Keep up to date on everything happening at both museum campuses—and beyond—by subscribing to our email newsletter:
