RAM Showcase: Storytellers—Narrative Photography from Artists of Color

October 30, 2024 – February 22, 2025
at Racine Art Museum

Nicole Acosta
Lisette, 2023, Printed 2024
Digital inkjet print, edition 1/2
36 x 24 inches
Racine Art Museum, United Way of Racine County Equity and Innovation Grant Purchase
Photography: Courtesy of the Artist

Photography can be used to record or construct narratives about people, places, and things. Its history is built on the layered relationship between the photographer and the subject. Regardless of the subject matter, all photographs are influenced by choices filtered through the camera and at least one human who dictates numerous factors directly affecting the outcome. Considering this, viewers might wonder about the intent of the photograph—who took it and why? Images can be appreciated without knowing these details. However, the viewer’s understanding of what is being depicted and the story being told may change based on this knowledge.

The artists whose works are included in this exhibition harness the storytelling power of photographic imagery. They address social, cultural, and personal issues, including identity, the environment, community, history, and the everyday. As artists of color, their conversations are charged with the subtext of race and heritage, even if these issues are not directly addressed in their work. RAM Showcase: Storytellers, with all artwork drawn from RAM’s collection, spotlights artists of color who use photography to tell their stories in their voices, and coincides with other exhibitions that celebrate and support voices of color via photographic imagery.

Artists in the Exhibition

Nicole Acosta, ADÁL (Adál Maldonado), René Amado, Dawoud Bey, Roy DeCarava, Sally Larsen, Yasumasa Morimura, Patrick Nagatani, Luiz González Palma, Charese Smiley, and Linda Wabanimkee.