Ron Isaac Exhibition at Racine Art Museum

Ron Isaacs has had several of his sculptures added to the Racine Art Museums’ collection. This makes him eligible to be considered an archive artist with RAM. His work will be on display as part of RAM’s Collection Focus exhibition and publication series. Isaacs’ work will be on display at the Racine Museum of Art from July 2nd - October 11th.

Ron Isaacs continues his 30+ year career of constructing and painting wood to resemble architectural clothing and other antique objects. Purposely devoid of figures, Isaacs invites the viewer to question what they are actually seeing. In this master’s hands, wood appears to be fabric, and leaves and branches are actually carefully constructed details. Combining trompe l’oeil painting with intricate wood assembling, Isaacs presents new sculptures that quietly demand a careful look to determine their true nature.

“I am still fascinated by the old simple idea of resemblance, the very first idea of art after tools and shelter: That an object made of one material can take on the outward appearance and therefore some of the "reality" of another,” explains Isaacs.

Isaacs received a B.A. in art at Berea College and went on to earn an M.F.A. in painting at Indiana University. He taught painting and drawing at Eastern Kentucky University for more than 30 years, and over time, developed his unique fusion of painting with sculpture. Isaacs has mounted numerous solo exhibitions nationwide and has work in the permanent collection of Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI; Hunstville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL; Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY; as well as many private and corporate collections. His work was recently reviewed by This Is Colossal and The Jealous Curator and his sculpture WALLFLOWER is featured on the new book cover of Brazilian author LÉLIA ALMEIDA, “Este Mundo Que Esquecomos Todos os Dias” or “This Other World That We Forget Every Day.”

Jan Serr: Face it Exhibition

Self-Portrait in Turban, Oil on linen, 36 x 24 in.

The Wriston Art Galleries at Lawrence University presents a new exhibition of self-portraits by Milwaukee-based artist and WAM co-founder, Jan Serr. The exhibition encompasses Serr's career up to 2020 and includes paintings, drawings, and prints in a variety of techniques and materials, all loaned to the university from the Warehouse Art Museum’s permanent collection.

As described by Beth A. Zinsli, Curator of the Wriston Art Center Galleries, “Jan Serr repeatedly returns to the human figure in her work. This exhibition explores her substantial body of work in self-portraiture in painting, drawing, and print mediums from different moments in her prolific career. In addition to demonstrating Serr’s deft touch and command of visual forms, the self-portraits reveal her ability to convey multiple aspects of her own personality and a wide range of emotional responses.”
 
Jan Serr: Face It is up from March 29th until May 10th, 2024, in the Hoffmaster Gallery of the Wriston Art Galleries on Lawrence University's campus.
It is free admission.