Bruce W. Pepich was fresh out of college when he was hired as a project manager for Racine’s Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts. He thought it would just be a summer gig, but he never left.
Fifty years later, Pepich is retiring from his role as executive director of what is now the Racine Art Museum, leaving behind a profound impact on both the institution and the city it calls home. “The people of Racine never treated me like the 22-year-old that I was,” Pepich says. “They listened to my opinion, and we worked together.”
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As he grew up, the museum grew with him, establishing outreach programs and earning accreditation. By 28, Pepich was promoted to be one of the youngest art museum directors in the nation. “I was so young [that] I grew a beard to make myself look older,” he says.
Pepich had the idea to specialize in American contemporary craft. In his five decades, he grew the museum’s collection from 326 pieces to more than 11,000, one of the largest contemporary craft collections in the country.
Raised in the Chicago suburbs, Pepich quickly fell in love with the people of Racine. His interest in craft resonated with community members who have a long history with skilled, blue-collar work. “He really cares about people, and I think that’s one of the reasons that he’s so successful in Racine,” says Frank Paluch, a former Chicago gallery owner and Racine native. He notes that the city even celebrated Bruce Pepich Day this year on Sept. 28.
Pepich’s crowning achievement was a physical love letter to the city. When the Wustum Museum’s collection far outgrew its space, and enough funds were raised, Pepich had the opportunity to open a second hub. He looked at locations all around the area, but he knew he wanted to support downtown Racine’s revitalization. In 2003, the renamed Racine Art Museum opened on Main Street – a glossy, state-of-the-art facility that became a major attraction for residents and visitors.
“If I look back on my time here, I would want people to say that I created a really wonderful place where people could explore their creativity, be challenged and amused … and sent back onto the street feeling energized and inspired,” Pepich says. “I sometimes say, ‘We were able to make one very, very small portion of the universe almost perfect.’”
Star of the Collection
Ask Pepich for the piece he’s most proud to have added to the collection, and he won’t hesitate: the Star Series by ceramics great Toshiko Takaezu.
Takaezu gave the collection of 14 large ceramic forms to RAM after working with the museum for years on cultural events and programming about contemporary craft. Pepich sees these additions to the collection – some of which are currently being shown in a touring retrospective – as a testament to the museum’s caring relationships with artists.
