Exhibition dates may change due to road construction outside RAM.

On Fire: Surveying Women in Glass in the Late-Twentieth Century is a snapshot of a crucial period in contemporary glass. Seen through the eyes of women, it reflects developments with the medium as an art material two and three decades after studio glass concepts were being implemented into university programs and contemporary practices. With work drawn from RAM’s collection and centered on the 1980s and 1990s, this exhibition outlines the concerns of artists dedicated to exploring the sculptural, visual, metaphorical, and creative potential of glass.

On Fire includes various examples of work produced within the studio glass framework—as self-consciously made art that reflects artistic investigations of materials, processes, and ideas. Artists include Sonja Blomdahl, Kimiake Higuchi, Concetta Mason, Flo Perkins, Kari Russell-Pool, Ginny Ruffner, Acquaetta Williams, Ann Wolff, and Toots Zynsky. Numerous topics are explored, including identity, beauty, color, pattern, nature, abstraction, form, the figure, metaphor, process, and the properties and abilities of glass as a material. There are also a range of techniques represented, including blowing, lampworking, casting, fusing, carving, polishing, pâte de verre, assembling, and various surface treatments. In essence, the exhibition summarizes the experimental nature of the artists and of studio glass in general.

The exhibition title alludes not only to certain techniques of physically working with glass but also to the idea that some artists were innovating and making names for themselves—that they were “on fire” in their art world trajectory.

A critic of another recent all-female glass exhibition lamented about needing to draw attention to the fact that all of the artists were women—are they artists first or women first? And these conversations can also be limiting as they sidestep more fluid gender dynamics. Yet, in this particular moment in time, it is indeed important to draw attention to components that are beyond the objects themselves. Who the makers are and how they move through the world does impact the work, even if it is not the identifiable subject matter.

While pleased to highlight artwork incorporating glass at any time, RAM is especially proud to do so in 2022, which has been designated the International Year of Glass by the United Nations to celebrate the heritage and importance of the material in all facets of life.
Artists in the Exhibition

Sonja Blomdahl, Jane Bruce, Judith Candy, Tessa Clegg, Eva Englund, Sharon Fujimoto, Robin Grebe, Mieke Groot, Audrey Handler, Kimiake Higuchi, Linda MacNeil, Concetta Mason, Isgard Moje-Wohlegemuth, Etsuko Nishi, Flo Perkins, Ginny Ruffner, Kari Russell-Pool, Susan Shapiro, Mary Shaffer, Molly Stone, Cappy Thompson, Karla Trinkley, Meredith Wenzel, Acquaetta Williams, Ann Wolff, Dana Zámečníková, and Toots Zynsky

Within a contemporary art context, the embrace of glass as a medium to communicate ideas is relatively new and fun for Wisconsinites, linked to artists working in this state. Glass in and of itself is an ancient material that has long been used for decorative, mechanical, functional, and commercial purposes.

But in the 1960s, very particular efforts were underway at University of Wisconsin-Madison to focus attention on artists as the makers of one-of-a-kind glass objects in a studio setting. In the years since, glass has had no shortage of interest from artists who appreciate its physical, structural, and metaphorical properties.

Recognizing the value of glass as a material for use in many capacities, 2022 has been designated the International Year of Glass by the United Nations. This exhibition spotlights glass as an art medium but, more importantly, in some ways, calls attention to the work of contemporary artists of color from RAM’s collection. While neither of these two threads are unique ones at RAM, this is the first exhibition dedicated to featuring only artists of color working with this material. It is important to point out that while there are theoretically no limitations to the materials any artist can use, there have historically been barriers to some artists of color in the United States—indirect or otherwise—to access to tools, materials, or studio spaces. In this current moment, more and more efforts are being made to not just support and encourage the work of artists of color but also to draw attention to the work that has already been done.

One of the featured artists, Etsuko Nishi, has worked in the United States but is generally considered a treasured Japanese artist. Her inclusion in this exhibition reflects the global interest in glass as an art-making material.
About RAM Showcase Exhibitions RAM Showcase exhibitions highlight the work of contemporary artists of color.

In this moment in time, it is critical that RAM spotlights voices that have been historically underrepresented, such as women and artists of color. Artists of color are identified in this context as non-white and non-European. This simplification, which is arguably a flawed starting point, does not account for the nuances and variations of society. It is a beginning—a way to direct those who want to educate themselves about what is possible when new perspectives are encountered.

While the work of artists of color has been and will continue to be shown in a variety of contexts at both campuses, the Showcase series highlights conversations around equity, inclusion, and social justice. This means underscoring the presence of the work of artists of color, primarily from the collection as well as, at times, featuring artists addressing critical social and cultural issues across a broad spectrum.

Further, as an educational institution rooted in the humanities and using art as a catalyst, the museum wants to encourage inquiry and exploration about the world in which we live. RAM hopes spotlighting artists of color spurs further engagement with these artists and their ideas. RAM is committed to supporting diverse voices—whether that diversity reflects race, gender, sexuality, age, ability, social standing, or world perspective.

Artists in the Exhibition
José Chardiet, Etsuko Nishi, Acquaetta Williams, and Brent Kee Young

Now in its 56th year, Watercolor Wisconsin was started in 1966 to honor the depth and breadth of watercolor in the State of Wisconsin. This year’s show at RAM’s Wustum Museum features 106 works by 95 Wisconsin artists.

Jurors for the 2022 competition are Ratindra Das and Gail Ana Gomez. Das is both a Dolphin Fellow and a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, a Master Signature member in Watercolor West, and a Distinguished Master in the Transparent Watercolor Society of America. Das has served as a juror for the American Watercolor Society’s annual exhibition and for many national organizations. He has conducted watercolor workshops and classes throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico, China, Singapore, and Italy. Further career accomplishments include winning over 80 national awards, being featured in several books and magazines, and published two books, Watercolor with an Eye for Design and Watercolor Beyond Obvious Reality. Presently, Das is represented by the Blue Dolphin House and Gallery, Ephraim, Wisconsin, and Mullaly’s 128 Gallery, Elk Rapids, Michigan.

Gomez is the Associate Director of Exhibitions and Publications at the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art. There she has managed numerous projects since 2014—from locally focused, historic exhibitions such as The Time is Now! Art Worlds of Chicago’s South Side 1960–1980, to exhibitions with a global reach such as The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China. With a background in studio art and art history, she also works as an independent curator and researcher with a special interest in self-taught and neurodiverse artists. Her newest research explores inclusive language and inclusive interpretative practices in museums.

For some, an artist’s working process could be as interesting to see as the so-called “final work.” Where does inspiration come from? How is something constructed? How does an idea go from being an intangible thing to being an object or image that exists in the real world? Sometimes artists use sketchbooks or preliminary drawings to help them sort out ideas or technical matters. Other times, sketches are exercises or thought generators and not a means to a specific end. Regardless of how employed, sketches offer insight into creative practices and, sometimes, into an artist’s daily life.

As an institution that collects works on paper as well as craft, RAM has various sketchbooks and sketches in its holdings. To date, these works are being acquired in tandem with, or in relation to, other work by the same artists. In some instances, the museum has sketchbooks and sketches that directly correlate to works in the collection—showing them side by side offers opportunities to compare and contrast a fully resolved work with the ideas leading up to it. In other instances, RAM has sketches and sketchbooks as part of an artist’s archive – there may or may not be direct examples on hand, but their presence still offers a window into how an artist pulls ideas together.

If institutions have materials like this on hand, they do not always exhibit them in the galleries—RAM is doing so because they are valuable resources and significant objects and images independent of their connection to any other work of art.

Historically, certain traditions of art history have tended to most value artworks made by a single person. What does it mean when a finished work is comprised of the talents of more than one artist? Even a popular artist such as Rembrandt van Rijn has works attributed to a “studio”—a designation that means, in essence, that Rembrandt was not solely responsible for the final piece. Comprised of artwork from RAM’s collection, this exhibition investigates artistic practices and the particular challenges and rewards of working collaboratively, yet it also raises questions about how such working processes break down assumptions about historical models that privilege a single artist. And, significantly, it celebrates the innovation and perseverance of artists who were making a name for a material that was sometimes marginalized and treated as less significant in the scope of contemporary art.

The artist teams whose works are featured—Benjamin Edols and Kathy Elliott, Margie Jervis and Susie Krasnican, and Joey Kirkpatrick and Flora Mace—have each had significant careers in contemporary glass. While they are not the only artistic duos working in the field that RAM collects, they stand out as they are represented by multiple works.

While delighted to highlight artwork incorporating glass at any time, RAM is incredibly proud to do so in 2022, which has been designated the International Year of Glass by the United Nations to celebrate the heritage and importance of the material in all facets of life.

The word zodiac is used to describe an astrological system or, perhaps more often in popular context, the twelve regions that make up the system and that are identified as “signs.” These signs, associated with different animals or symbols, are also linked to personality traits and the specific day someone was born.

David R. Harper: Zodiac features a series of sculptural works based on the signs of the zodiac. Harper uses imagery and metaphor to encourage people to think about how an object’s meaning can change based on who is interacting with it. Further, he hopes viewers will reflect on their own selves, in his words: “to see themselves, based on their zodiac characteristics, in some way in the work.”

This exhibition at RAM marks the first time the Zodiac series has been shown together. Originally commissioned by the Gardiner Museum in Toronto, the twelve works/installations were shown spread throughout their galleries and in relation to pieces in their permanent collection. Per direction of the artist, RAM is able to show the work as a whole or broken down into various groups or individual works.

Whether referencing the landscape or architecture or both, metalsmith Eleanor Moty creates distinctive jewelry that poetically encompasses both wearer and viewer. Moty first gained recognition in the 1960s and 1970s for using cutting-edge fabrication techniques—such as electroplating and photo-etching—in adornment. She shifted her focus toward including stones in her work and the large-scale brooches she has been creating over the last couple of decades exemplify her dialogue with the “linear imagery” of quartz stones.

In essence, Moty’s elaborate and time-consuming process begins with finding the right stone—which a stonecutter has modified—and building from there. The artist engages with the tone, shape, and features of her chosen stone. Preferring brooches to other forms of jewelry, she remarks on their relatively self-contained nature: “Brooches needn’t be worn to be complete…Not having to fit the piece to the body…I can concentrate on the sculptural aspects.”

Moty has been applauded for her many contributions to the field, including a 28-year teaching career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison—in a department she helped develop into one of the most well-regarded in the country.

With 12 pieces currently in the collection, including an early photo-etched hand mirror and brooches containing large quartzes, RAM ranks Moty as an archive artist. Featuring over 35 works, including several from RAM’s holdings as well as recently finished pieces, this exhibition owes its name to a recently-published monograph on the artist. It follows a similar arc to the book in representing Moty’s working career to date—over 50 years of making.

In addition to examples of her jewelry, the exhibition will include a video where Moty describes her process in-depth as well as sketches borrowed from the artist.

Quiet Elegance: The Jewelry of Eleanor Moty, published by Arnoldsche Art Publishers, is available through the RAM Museum Store.

I’m trying to get people to realize that cloth can have that [life-guiding] kind of spiritual, emotional, and artistic content…If an artistic shawl or scarf ‘fits into your everyday life,’ then it has that kind of ability to spiritually elevate everyday life.
—Randall Darwall

Kaleidoscopic colors. Bold patterns. Lush fabrics. These are just a few of the many phrases that could be applied to the work of Randall Darwall (1948–2017). A revered and beloved fiber artist, Darwall combined an early interest in painting with a poetic sensibility. He created one-of-a-kind textiles that were meant to be both worn and seen, somehow imbuing the threads with his own organic spirituality. This capacity would lead him to interweave, metaphorically and literally, elements of an artistic vision with the everyday—bringing his interest in color and texture in line with his strong belief that what he made was activated in its function.

This exhibition debuts an archive of over 135 scarves, shawls, and garments by Darwall at the Racine Art Museum. Dyed silk stands out as the material of choice, with metallic thread, wool, cashmere, and chenille on hand as well. While the number of works is impressive, so too is the variety with different patterns, colorways, and eras represented. In addition, as part of the archival supporting materials, RAM has been gifted textile works by other artists that served as inspiration for Darwall—several of which are included in this exhibition—and ephemera that document his career. His work boosts the quantity of art to wear in RAM’s holdings yet also dialogues with objects and images across media and types.

Artists of all ages were invited to participate in the museum’s annual competition for handmade holiday ornaments, festive snow people and creatures, and decorated trees. The 2022 show features 43 delightful pieces by 35 regional artists.
Artists in the Exhibition

Brooklyn, NY: Beryl Brenner; Caledonia: Diane Dunn; Creighton, PA: Stefani Allegretti; Franksville: Lilly Lamberton, Sally Lamberton, Josiah Lamberton; Kenosha: Theresa DiCello, Donna Jaworski, Tom Jaworski; Milwaukee: Bridget King, Nick Schroeder; Mt. Pleasant: Susan Buhler-Maki; Muskego: Lynn Proeber; New York, NY: Tim Sutton; Oak Creek: Patricia Dillman; Port Washington: Sami Mooney; Racine: Anna Clementi, Aiden Dunn, Leanne Dunn, Spencer Dunn, Stella Dunn, Tammy Easton, Lisa Englander, Holly Ottum, Bruce W. Pepich, DeAnna Poelmann, Bill Reid, Lisa Roeder, Birute Schlecht, Holly Schlecht, Ken Swanson, Kelly Witte; Waukegan, IL: Daniel Sviland; Waukesha: Cathee Boeder-Cook