Racine, WI – On August 27, 2024, Racine Art Museum’s (RAM’s) Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts (Wustum) continued an important Racine tradition with the Opening Reception and Award Ceremony for Wisconsin Photography 2024.Established in the 1970s and hosted biennially, Wisconsin Photography underscores RAM’s institutional commitment to looking at contemporary art in a variety of forms. Featuring 96 works by 35 artists, the exhibition will be on display at Wustum, 2519 Northwestern Avenue in Racine, through November 23, 2024.
Celebrating the rich community of photographers and video artists living and working in Wisconsin, this juried exhibition takes a different approach than most, with artists being asked to submit a portfolio of up to 10 images or two short films for juror review. This allows the juror to conduct a more extensive review of an artist’s body of work and, if they wish, the opportunity to select multiple pieces from an artist’s portfolio—creating a dynamic exhibition where viewers can get a better sense of how the photographer expresses their ideas across multiple works.
This year, RAM awarded distinguished Purchase Awards to eleven works that will be added to the museum’s growing holdings of photographic work. This prestigious accolade also contributes significantly to an artist’s career advancement. Being a part of RAM’s internationally recognized collection is a symbol of professional achievement in the field, further solidifying the artist’s accomplishment.
Congratulations to the following award winners:
Arthur P. Haas Memorial Purchase Awards
- Dennis Darmek, Milwaukee—Desert Training, Marine Corps Combat Center, 29 Palms, CA.
- David Graham, De Pere—Greenleaf, WI
- William Lemke, Waukesha—Trees and Fog, Blue Ridge
Cynthia Anne Georgeson Memorial Purchase Awards
- Kristine Hinrichs, Milwaukee—The Gaslight
- Michael Knapstein, Middleton—Father and Daughter
Jessica Zalewski Purchase Awards
- Stephanie Bartz, Wauwatosa—Carmen—Carpenter
- Gretchen Demuth Hansen, Union Grove—Rooster
- Marcella Jones, Milwaukee—Navajo Nation Sentiment
- Emanuel Rios, Milwaukee—Do Your Best
- Andre Saint Louis, Milwaukee—Love is Love
- Richard Wunsch, Wausau—Summer Hail
Further information about Wisconsin Photography 2024 is available on the RAM website, ramart.org.
Exhibitions at Racine Art Museum are made possible by: Platinum Sponsors—The Estate of Karen Johnson Boyd, David Charak, Judith and David Flegel Fund, Ron and Judith Isaacs, Racine Community Foundation, Barbara Waldman, Windgate Foundation, United Way of Racine County; Diamond Sponsors—Ruffo Family Foundation, Ruth Foundation for the Arts; Gold Sponsors—Anonymous, Osborne and Scekic Family Foundation, Reliance Controls Community Fund, Trio Foundation of St. Louis, W.T. Walker Group, Inc., Wisconsin Arts Board; Silver Sponsors—Anonymous, Baird, Beta Diagnostic Labs, A.C. Buhler Family, Ben and Dawn Flegel, Friends of Fiber Art, International, Sharon and Tom Harty, Dave and Judy Hecker, Horizon Retail Construction, Inc., Johnson Financial Group, Dorothy MacVicar, Jan Serr and John Shannon; Bronze Sponsors—Dave’s Wine Garage, Educators Credit Union, Express Employment Professionals, Lucy G. Feller, Hitter’s Baseball, Bill and Debbie Keland, Norbell Foundation, JoAnna Poehlmann, Rasmussen Diamonds, Twin Disc; Media Sponsor—Radio Milwaukee
About the Racine Art Museum
The two campuses of the Racine Art Museum—RAM in downtown Racine at 441 Main Street and the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts (Wustum) at 2519 Northwestern Avenue—are located in Racine, Wisconsin, a historic community on the shores of Lake Michigan. RAM is home to the largest contemporary craft collection in North America and has a reputation for its award-winning architecture and nationally recognized exhibition program. Wustum is home to the organization’s diverse, award-winning art education programs and has presented significant art exhibitions since 1941.
Both campuses of the Racine Art Museum are currently open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission rates are $10 for adults; $8 for students, seniors (62+), and veterans; and free for RAM members, children under 12, active military personnel, and NARM, ROAM, and AAM members.