About Us

The Mathis Gallery and Frame Shop recently celebrated its 35th year in business.

Established in 1972, we have been at the forefront of exhibiting fine art, african sculpture and graphic works by world renowned artists. Our mission is to provide collectors a wide selection of quality art to suit their interests. Located in art district in Racine Wisconsin, we are conveniently located between Chicago and Milwaukee.

What is it that brings people from across the United States to Racine? In one word: expertise. With a specialty in prints (particularly those of Sir Frances Seymour Haden and Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn), there are also 2000 original graphics, more than 5000 antique or vintage prints, 700 pieces of African sculptures and ritual objects, and ceramics from every major culture over the last 5000 years.

Mathis Gallery frequently lends shows to academic institutions for educational use see the Current Show page for more information.

Conservation framing and reproduction historical frames are our specialty. Conservation framing (also called archival framing) is a process in which special archival materials and methods are used to assure the lasting care of the artwork being framed. While initially more expensive than conventional framing, this process can help preserve the quality of the art and hence its value. Conservation framing is also popular for family heirlooms such as wedding photos because it can help ensure the piece will be in good condition for future generations.

The Owner

Emile Henry (Hank) Mathis II is the proprietor of the Mathis Gallery and Frame Shop. His love for art began in a high school class in his hometown of Superior, Wisconsin. His teacher would declare “art history days,” giving students an introduction to art through the ages. As a student at Dominican College in Racine Wisconsin, Mr. Mathis had a professor who was educated at the prestigious Bauhaus School in Germany. This experience gave Mr. Mathis invaluable insights into color and design. Mr. Mathis finished his bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Superior. After college, Mr. Mathis worked for several years in New York City for an international graphics sales firm based in Great Britain.

Through the years, Mr. Mathis has been a strong supporter of local organizations such as the Racine Zoo, the Racine Art Museum, and the United Performing Arts Fund. He currently serves on the fine arts advisory committee at Carthage College, as well as the City of Racine’s Board of Zoning Appeals and the Downtown Design Review Committee. Mr, Mathis is also active with the University of Wisconsin at Superior and is on their foundation board. Mr. Mathis completed classes on the care and conservation of works of art on paper at the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies in Illinois in August 2007. email Emile (Hank)

The Web Designer and Programmer

This web site was designed and programmed by Ron Dunnett. He has 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, in the quality control, engineering, validation and operational areas. Ron has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Purdue, 2 additional years of engineering technology studies at Purdue and 3 years of graduate studies in Chemical Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology where he focused on reactor design. His day job is Director of Quality Assurance of a specialty chemical and packaging company in Milwaukee.

Ron is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the Midwest Validation Discussion Group. He has 6 Sigma green belt training, Ron holds a USDA/ FDA/ SQF certification for HACCP. email Ron

The Building

The building the gallery is currently located in was built in 1854.  First a dry goods store, and a newspaper named The Times-Call was printed there at the turn of the 20th century. In the 1930s, the building changed hands again and it became a high-end fur shop.  A store front church has even occupied the building.