Cultural Reflections: RAM Community Art Show

Expressions of cultural connections and traditions can take the form of many things—including food, literature, dance, craft forms, and visual art. Different societies, and individuals and groups within them, have various ways of reflecting significant aspects of their heritage. Cultural Reflections: RAM Community Art Show showcases work by 86 artists that used a wide variety of media to explore aspects of their culture, heritage, family traditions, or way of life. Through paintings, prints, collage, objects, and more, these artists share their inspirations, influences, and observations about the world connected to them. The wide variety of subject matter and imagery reflects the uniqueness of each maker.

Cultural Reflections is comprised of work drawn from RAM’s creative community of class participants and teachers, Racine school teachers, RAM staff and volunteers and other affiliated persons as well as the Black Arts Council of Racine (BACR). Committed to supporting diverse artists, voices, and audiences, RAM collaborated with the BACR to develop Cultural Reflections. BACR also invited affiliated artists to submit work to the exhibition.

The exhibition was inspired, in part, by the work of Haitian-born artist Edouard Duval-Carrié whose work is on loan to RAM for display in Blurry Boundaries: Contemporary Artists, Imagination, and the Spaces Between through August 27. Looking at historical romanticized paintings, Duval-Carrié created an imaginary landscape that emphasizes the importance of cultural identity in the Caribbean.

Artists in the Exhibition

Caledonia: Nancy Neider; Cudahy: Sabina Archaniolowicz; Franksville: Irene Cardozo; Glendale: Fred Stein; Kenosha: Carol Klees-Starks, John W. Terhardt, Paula Touhey, Kendra Voelz; Lake Geneva: Caroll Pearson;  Milwaukee: Tom Hoffman, Steve Horvath, Debra Klepp, Stephen Misovy, Julia Taylor, Kiefer Ledell Waterman; Mt. Pleasant: Sophia Chiodo, John Clazmer, Patricia Guttenberg, Natalie Lange, Lisa Martin; Mundelein, IL: Pritika Chowdhry; Nashotah: Alice Rossman; New Berlin: Avni Shah; Racine:Chris Allen, Christine Bohn, Howard Brown, Jon Bolton, Mary Ann Bresnahan, Karen Broman, Jill Castillo, Wenda Coldtrain,Annette Cosey, Teddy Cosey, Jane Devine, Deedee Dumont, Mary Dwyer, Lisa Englander, John Falk, PM Fallon, Wesley Fallon, Linda Flagg, Tavis Franklin, Pat Gilbert, Justin Gottfredsen, Nancy Greenebaum, Alexander Greiveldinger, April Harris, Tonya Harris, Ann Henkes, Charlie Johnson, Elouise Johnson, Mary Koors, Brooke Kovara, Todd Krewall, Mickie Krueger, Autumn Kyle, Robert Manning, Karen Mathis, Janet Mrazek, James Moore, Penny Nichols, Olivia Osborne, Leslie Perrino, Suzanne Schackelman, Warnetta Smith, Susan M. Sorenson, Jean Sullivan, Dina Walker, Angel White, Princess Arihanna White, Keairra Wilson, Shakira Wilson, Kelly Witte; Shorewood: Meghan Burke McGrath; Spring Prairie: Veronica Gagliano Averkamp; Sturtevant: Ralph Tunstell; Waukegan, IL: Tanya Allen; Wind Point: Caye Christensen; Zion, IL: Jamir Duffie

Image: Brooke Kovara, Namaskar, 2020, Glass and grout, 12 1/4 x 15 1/4 inches. Photography: Tyler Potter