Collections and Exhibitions

Installation view of RAM Showcase: Objects
Photography: Tyler Potter

2021

• Began an ongoing review of organizational language that addresses diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Began an ongoing internal audit regarding the heritage of artists in the collection. Will establish a statement that will be published on website collection pages regarding this process.
• Introduced signage that lists artists of color (as well as artists who identify as women who make up 41% of artists represented in the collection) whose works are included in each exhibition.
• Introduced portfolios (collections of images and information) on the website that highlight artists of color and artists who identify as women from the collection.
• Developed exhibitions programming that showcases artists of color including a semi-permanent “showcase” space at Wustum.
  • RAM Showcase: Objects, open December 15, 2021 through May 28, 2022.
• Established an expanded and diverse pool of potential jurors for the RAM Artist Fellowship/Emerging Artist program and juried exhibitions.
• Began asking artists who participate in juried exhibitions to share if they identify as a person of color with the option of answering with yes, no, or prefer not to answer.
• Continued a commitment made in 2010 to pay interns who work on the permanent collection to make these positions accessible to broader groups of students.

2022

• Drew from an expanded jury pool to employ two artists of color to select work for two separate Wustum exhibitions.
• Worked with University of Wisconsin-Parkside faculty on collaborative programming opportunities related to artists of color.
• Partnered with the Black Arts Council of Racine to organize Wustum exhibition, Cultural Reflections.
• Introduced internationally-known Haitian artist to local audiences via exhibition inclusion and outreach programming.
• Introduced black Chicago area artist to local audiences via exhibition inclusion and outreach programming and subsequently added his work to RAM’s collection.
• Established partnership with Art Bridges that allowed/will allow for expanded artist representation and outreach support for future exhibitions and programs.
• 24 of 42 social media posts produced by Exhibitions Department addressed artists of color.
• Added the work of seven artists of color to RAM’s collection via support of Windgate Foundation grant and newly established Artists of Color Acquisition Fund.
• Established an Artists of Color Acquisition Fund to acquire the work of artists of color for the collection, primarily of those not yet represented at RAM.
• Marketing Department developed a website page dedicated to the artists-of-color RAM Showcase exhibition series.
• Continued work on ongoing internal audit regarding the heritage of artists in the collection. Will establish a statement that will be published on website collection pages regarding this process.
• Continued spotlighting artists of color and women featured in exhibitions through separate signage.
• Continued RAM Showcase exhibition series—focused on highlighting and maintaining the presence of artists of color at both campuses.
• Continue ongoing review of organizational language that addresses diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Drawing on community response, modified the process for asking artists who participate in juried exhibitions about their heritage.
• Of the 232 individual artists whose works were shown at RAM in 2022 (so, primarily artists represented in the collection), 116 were women and 70 were artists of color. Of the 302 individual artists whose works were shown at Wustum in 2022 (so, primarily artists loaning works), 188 were women and 47 were artists of color.

2023

• Produced the first full-color printed gallery guide to accompany RAM Showcase exhibitions, which center on artists of color.
• Increased potential impact of RAM Showcase exhibitions by adding exhibition collateral with artist portraits, bio panels, and/or artist statements as well as video segments that are linked to the website whenever possible.
• Debuted the first new acquisitions from the Windgate Foundation grant and linked them to the newly established Artists of Color Acquisition Fund. Worked with featured artists as they promoted their acquisitions and inclusion on their social media platforms.
• Achieving greater equity in diverse voices by hiring artists of color for exhibition and collection photography, which is used in various print and digital formats.
• Instituted programming to highlight equity-based acknowledgment via “celebratory” months such as Black History Month or Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Platforms include education programming, social media, and informational emails for staff highlighting related artists on display and/or in RAM’s collection alongside external informational links.
• Partnered with Mahogany Gallery of Racine to organize the Wustum exhibition, Futures Reimagined: RAM Community Art Show and the Mahogany Gallery-curated display within Futures Reimagined titled Black Futures 2.
• Engaged in exhibition planning with local Hispanic/Latina artists for 2024 programming.
• Featured a community-curated exhibition as part of RAM’s Twentieth Anniversary programming.
• Worked with the University of Wisconsin–Parkside and their newly established artist residency program to acquire the work of Roberto Torres Mata, their inaugural resident.
• Updated technology at RAM’s Wustum Museum to better support viewing of works on the second floor—accessible by stairway only—from the first floor
• Featured artists of color in 25 of 44 social media posts on multiple platforms highlighting works from the museum’s permanent collection.
• Continued spotlighting artists of color and women featured in exhibitions on separate wall signage.
• Continued presenting exhibitions in the RAM Showcase series, which highlights and maintains the presence of artists of color at both campuses.
• Continued ongoing review of organizational language that addresses diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Drawing on community response, modified the process for asking artists who participate in juried exhibitions about their heritage.
• Worked with University of Wisconsin–Parkside faculty on collaborative programming opportunities related to artists of color.
• Began utilizing strategies in daily museum practices that allow for resource conservation, such as carbon-neutral shipping options, reusable packaging materials and supplies, and eco-friendly sealants.

Educational Programs and Outreach

RAM on the Road program
Photography: RAM Staff

2020

• Focused on diverse artists in the collection and around the world through Outreach 5.
• Created new program content for RAM on the Road Second Grade program and focused on story telling specific to artists of color in the collection.

2021

• Featured a diverse group of artists and created art using recycled materials for the new Zero Waste Eighth Grade Art program, critically highlighting how communities of color are often impacted negatively by plastic pollution and environmental hazards such as Environmental Racism.
• Instituted a program to specifically work with Family & Community Engagement Centers/Family Empowerment Series (FES).
  • Provided art programs, take home art projects, and online activities, many of which focused on artists of color
  • Partnered with FES to provide programs during Family Days at a variety of Community Schools:
    • National Hispanic Heritage Month
    • Martin Luther King Day
    • Black History Month
    • Women’s History Month
• Partnered with the Black Arts Council of Racine to provide collaborative programming and support with the goal to build a stronger network of artists of color in the area by providing free art making activities for families.
• Created and provided a variety of online, at-home family activities that are inspired by and showcase artists of color or women from the permanent collection.

2022

• Formed a partnership with Scott Terry and Mahogany Gallery to identify future ways to collaborate including RAM participating in the Black Expo, as well as hosting several meetings with Scott to grow relationship.
• Hired artist of color to teach classes.
• Hired one person of color as a General Museum Assistant.
• Offered over 20 on-site free community programs at both campuses with a DEIA focus. Programs related to a loaned piece by Haitian-born artist Edouard Duval-Carrié entitled, Lost at Sea, and the Wustum exhibition, Cultural Reflections were centered on the work of  and artists of color from the collection and in current exhibits. These included:
  • A Poetry Night at Wustum partnering with Black Arts Council of Racine and Family Power Music
  • A two-day workshop with visiting artist Paul Andrew Wandless.
  • An Artists Talk with Scott Terry and Paul Andrew Wandless at Mahogany Gallery
  • A special Lost at Sea-inspired program for The Longest Day with the Aging and Disability Resource Center and Alzheimer’s Association.
  • Kids Day at Wustum
  • Free Summer Drop In for Arts
  • Free First Friday family programs at RAM
  • A SPARK! poetry day led by a poet of color who received compensation; facilitated a program with business owner of color; and hosted four SPARK! programs related to Cultural Reflections.
• Continued to partner with Black Arts Council of Racine.
• Created 12 social media posts with at-home art projects inspired by the work of artists of color.
• Over twenty RAM on the Road programs were focused on women artists and artists of color in RAM’s collection, as well as the featured summer loan work, Lost at Sea. Topics covered such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Haitian Day, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Native American Heritage Month. These included:
  • RAM on the Road free community art-making events with the Racine Unified School District Family Engagement Centers, Community Schools, and City Parks and Recreation.
  • SPARK! on the Road programs
  • Offered online engagement trainings with Edouard Duval-Carrié’s Lost at Sea as one of the featured artworks.
• Facilitated 80 second and fifth grade programs that heavily focused on artists of color and women artists.
• Revamped the Eighth Grade Zero Waste program to include more artists of color who work with recycled materials.
• Children’s summer art classes and camps used the Cultural Reflections exhibition as inspiration for projects and artistic endeavors.
• Offered an accessibility training session with docents and other museum professionals at the annual SPARK! conference and training.
• Created an internal education documenting system of tracking.
• Partnered with other Midwest Museum Professionals in Zoom discussions to identify areas of concern and start investigating better inclusivity practices.
• RAM partnered with ArtRoot to identify artists of color to include in local art selection for Hotel Verdant.

2023

January

• Created a Virtual Art Activity celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
• Partnered with Racine Unified School District’s Family Engagement program and the City of Racine to bring RAM on the Road to the Dr. John Bryant Community Center and the Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Community Center in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

February

• Created a Virtual Art Activity celebrating Black History Month.
• Hosted a Free Drop-in for Art at RAM’s Wustum Museum celebrating Black History Month.
• Hosted a Free Family Hands-on Art Activity during First Friday at RAM celebrating Black History Month.
• Partnered with Racine Unified School District’s Family Engagement program and the City of Racine to bring RAM on the Road to the Dr. John Bryant Community Center, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, and the Cesar Chavez Community Center in celebration of Black History Month.
• Provided a $500 sponsorship for Mahogany Gallery’s annual Black Arts and Culture Expo.

March

• RAM hosted Artists Respond: Walking Tour with Mutòpe Johnson and Scott Terry as part of Mahogany Gallery’s Black Arts and Culture Expo.
• Created a Virtual Art Activity celebrating Women’s Herstory Month.
• Hosted a Free Drop-in for Art at RAM’s Wustum Museum celebrating Women’s Herstory Month.
• Hosted a Free Family Hands-on Art Activity during First Friday at RAM celebrating Women’s Herstory Month.
• Partnered with Racine Unified School District’s Family Engagement program and the City of Racine to bring RAM on the Road to the Dr. John Bryant Community Center and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in celebration of Women’s Herstory Month.
• Brought RAM on the Road to Gilmore Fine Arts and Oak Creek High School to offer hands-on art-making projects inspired by Women’s Herstory Month.
• Brought RAM on the Road to Trinity Lutheran Church to offer an art activity inspired by a Black artist in RAM’s collection.

April

• Created a Virtual Art Activity inspired by an artist of color in RAM’s collection who creates work using recycled materials—a tie-in to RAM’s Zero Waste Initiative.

May

• Hosted a Free Drop-in for Art at RAM’s Wustum Museum based on a culturally inspired piece on display in Racine Unified Student Art Exhibition 2023.
• Hosted a Free Family Hands-on Art Activity during First Friday at RAM celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
• Provided two RAM on the Road projects at Horlick High School Spanish programs.

June

• Featured printmaker Roberto Torres Mata as a guest artist at the annual Kids Day event at RAM’s Wustum Museum. Offered multiple hands-on experiences that highlighted the exhibition Futures Reimagined: RAM Community Art Show and Mahogany Gallery-curated Black Futures 2.
• Kids’ summer classes and camps were specifically aligned with the content in Futures Reimagined: RAM Community Art Show and Mahogany Gallery-curated Black Futures 2.
  • Studio Arts: Past, Present, Future (Morning or Afternoon Class)
  • The Future is so Bright
  • Summer Art Camp: Fashioning a Fab Future
• Offered two SPARK! memory loss engagement programs—specifically The Longest Day—inspired by the themes and artwork associated with Futures Reimagined: RAM Community Art Show and Mahogany Gallery-curated Black Futures 2.
• Created a Virtual Art Activity featuring an artist of color from RAM’s collection.
• Hosted a Free Family Hands-on Art Activity during First Friday at RAM inspired by an artist of color from RAM’s collection.

July

• Hosted the first annual Groovin’ in the Garden live music event at RAM’s Wustum Museum in partnership with Mahogany Gallery. Over 120 attendees enjoyed by a musical lineup consisting entirely of performers of color.
• Presented SPARK! memory loss engagement programs inspired by Futures Reimagined: RAM Community Art Show and Mahogany Gallery-curated Black Futures 2.
• Offered two RAM on the Road art inclusion programs at Sonnenberg Schools for children with Autism, both of which featured artists of color from RAM’s collection working primarily in ceramics.
• Created a Virtual Art Activity featuring an artist of color from RAM’s collection.
• Hosted a Free Family Hands-on Art Activity during First Friday at RAM inspired by an artist of color in the museum’s collection.

August

• Kids Summer Art Camp was specifically aligned with Futures Reimagined: RAM Community Art Show and Mahogany Gallery-curated Black Futures 2, including a student gallery night with over 100 attendees.
• Partnered with Racine Unified School District’s Family Engagement program to bring RAM on the Road to Back to School events at community schools.

September

• Presented SPARK! memory loss engagement programs themed around the work of 2022–23 RAM Artist Fellowship Recipient Peter F. Aymonin.
• Created a Virtual Art Activity celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month.
• Hosted a Free Drop-in for Art at RAM’s Wustum Museum celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month.
• Hosted a Free Family Hands-on Art Activity during First Friday at RAM celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month.
• Designed and offered two art-making experiences inspired by National Hispanic Heritage Month during Downtown Racine’s Party on the Pavement.
• Partnered with Racine Unified School District and United Way of Racine County to bring RAM on the Road to Julian Thomas Elementary School for an event inspired by National Hispanic Heritage Month.

October

• Created a Virtual Art Activity celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month.
• Partnered with Racine Unified School District and United Way of Racine County to bring RAM on the Road to Julian Thomas Elementary School and Mitchell School for an art activity inspired by National Hispanic Heritage Month.

November

• Created a Virtual Art Activity celebrating Native American Heritage Month.
• Hosted a Free Drop-in for Art at RAM’s Wustum Museum inspired by an artist of color from RAM’s collection.

Throughout 2023

• Facilitated 54 RAM on the Road Second Grade programs for 1,066 participants, all featuring artists of color and women artists in RAM’s collection. Starting in the fall of 2023, the art-making project was based on a Hispanic artist in RAM’s collection.
• Taught 28 Outreach 5 programs for 1,255 participants, all inspired by work from the RAM Showcase exhibitions at RAM’s Wustum Museum.

General Operations

Group tour of All in the Family: Featuring Kelly and Kyle Phelps
Photography: RAM Staff

2021

• Developed DEIA Statement and shared it with diverse constituents for feedback and further revision.
• As part of the Strategic Plan, completed the first phase of an institution-wide salary survey and analysis that resulted in pay increases for staff members whose compensation levels were significantly below median levels for the field, region, and discipline.
• Provided access and encouraged staff to use working hours to participate in the Racine County United Way Diversity Challenge-Parts One and Two.
• Provided access and encouraged Board and volunteers to participate in the Racine County United Way Diversity Challenge-Parts One and Two.
• Offered and encouraged diversity and equity training through educational programming such as the SPARK! virtual conferences.
• Explored and implemented new networks to reach a more diverse pool of candidates for open staff positions and volunteer and docent recruitment.
• Met with local college art professors to explore people of color as possible candidates for education-oriented roles such as teachers, general museum assistants, and education assistants.
• Continued Free First Fridays (since 2008) and provided family guest passes to be checked out from the Racine Public Library and used by anyone for free admission at any time (since 2016).
• Recruited/Invited 12 Latino or African American artists and chefs (16-total) who were featured at SAVOUR—RAMA’s annual premiere fundraising event.
• Reached out to the following potential community partners to explore new relationships and initiatives with the following:
  • ArtRoot, a committee of artists and arts advocates working to revitalize Racine through the arts
  • Nicole McDowell, Executive Director of Engagement and Equity, Racine Unified School District (RUSD)
  • Family Engagement Center staff, a support center for local people of color
  • April Harris, Black Arts Council of Racine
  • Kristina Campbell, Art for Uptown
  • United Way of Racine County/RUSD Community Schools
  • Kristina Wantanabe, Wings of Fire Consulting and Phoenix Wellness Center, Gateway Technical College
  • Scott Terry, Mahogany Gallery
  • René Amado, RAM Emerging Artist Fellowship Recipient
  • Lisa Marie Barber, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, RAM Artist Fellowship Recipient
  • Lisa Bigalke, Carthage College, RAM Artist Fellowship Recipient
  • Deontrae Mayfield, the Main Project and Café
  • Tasia White, TaejaVu’s on Main
  • Angela Zimmerman, Executive Director, Racine Public Library
  • Midwest Museum Equity Group
  • Mallory Umar, Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction, RUSD
• Added Martin Luther King Day to the museum calendar as a staff holiday.
• Re-iterated institutional support to staff and encouraged scheduling flexibility to celebrate religious and other holidays that are meaningful to them.
• Continued implementation of scholarships for studio art classes for children and adults to encourage participation regardless of the socio-economic status of the participants.
• Installed and maintained content on an iPad at Wustum Museum with images of work on the second floor galleries to accommodate visitors who cannot use the stairs.

2022

• Board approved RAMA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Statement and Progress Report.
• RAMA’s DEIA statement and progress report were add to RAM’s website.
• Board approved RAMA’s Artists of Color Acquisition Fund policy.
• Some members of Exhibitions and Education staff attended DEIA professional development workshop, A Morning with Deanna Singh: Steps to Becoming an Inclusive Workplace.
• Staff and volunteers attended an introductory meeting and relationship-building afternoon at Racine’s Mahogany Gallery.
• Investigated grants and funding opportunities to help support DEIA initiatives.
• Education, Exhibitions and Marketing monthly meetings to discuss inclusivity and equity building programming.

2023

• RAMA Board of Directors formed a new Public Engagement Committee focusing on the guest experience in all areas of operations.

Events

Artist Scott Terry at his work at the SAVOUR 2022 Live Auction
Photography: Lori Potrykus

2022

• Featured three artists of color as a 2022 SAVOUR artist, and one queer artist.
• Three of the SAVOUR restaurants featured and highlighted were people of color.
• All artists and restaurants received payment to participate.
• Offered free event tickets to each of the artists and the restaurants to bring a guest.
• Event committee focused on driving a diverse group of attendees to the event.
• Hired and paid two artists of color to provide art activities as mini SAVOUR events.
• Featured artist of color and Pakistani restaurant staff in local television spot.