Annie
Ruth: On a Positive Note
By Jan Hawkins Cincinnati Woman Magazine
Annie Ruth considers being called a Renaissance woman a compliment, not because it describes the period of art and literature after the Dark Ages, but because the French definition means "rebirth". Her "rebirth" is what enables her to share her gift of art in a way that impacts others through the spirit that emanates from a create work. Just one look at her website, www.annieruth.com, and the visitor has a clear indication she is available to help promote positive themes wherever she goes.
Community Projects
An expert in mixed media, Annie makes artists visits to most of the schools in the region, demonstrating how to integrate various art forms into the curriculum, especially language art or cultural art lessons. She works with several arts organizations in the city-the WCET Arts Initiative, Cincinnati Arts Association, and the Arts Consortium are three. She is also regularly commissioned by area businesses and nonprofits for special art projects-Fifth Third, Reading for Life, UC, WCPO, Procter & Gamble, Urban League, and ProKids are but a few. Some like Fifth Third commission Annie each year to create artwork for their Profiles in Courage awards, which go to African Americans in the community who have faced life's challenges and won. Her list of awards and accomplishments fills two pages: commissioned paintings in permanent collections; original paintings used in Head Start and Child Literacy programs; mural-sized paintings in a local children's clinic; author of adult and young adult books and CD's; illustrated coloring and activity books; designer of note and greeting cards; teaching artist and consultant; educational enrichment awards; artist in residence awards; state awards for community service…activities that all promote reading and literacy, women and sisterhood, positive art and literature. The list is extensive. Where did all this start?
Sources of Inspiration
"I think I was about three years old. I hear it ringing in my head all the time, my Mama would say, 'oh, my baby can draw…oh baby. That's such a pretty picture." "I had great reinforcement at home, of my mom instilling 'if you want to do it, you can do it.' I had great educators, and I have to say this, particularly with Cincinnati Public Schools getting a bad rap at times, I came through Cincinnati Public Schools. I started at College Hill Elementary. I had a teacher who would encourage me to draw and paint, and I got my first exposure to an art contest in the third grade. It was a brotherhood art contest for Brotherhood Week." That was the first contest Annie remembers winning. But art isn't the only factor driving Annie's life. Her spirituality is also a powerful force, though she hesitates at the label. "I don't really look at myself as a spiritual person; it's just second nature. I know that what I have in terms of my gift is from God, and it's meant to help other people. I didn't understand that at first. I used to always say, 'I want to be a doctor' I want to be a doctor, because Mom was sick and I really didn't understand her sickness that well." (Annie's mom suffered from mental illness.) "I'm under the belief that God's Spirit is ever present within me and in whatever situation that I face or come across, even the simple things-sometimes it may seem really simple to someone else, but if something is really heavy on my heart to do, it's my belief that is God's way of beckoning or talking to me saying, 'Hey, this is something that I want to do through you.'"
In memory of a child
Annie Ruth gives an example. "When I did the illustrations for the book, When My Mama Reads to Me, we were writing the dedication. And when I sat and thought about the dedication, of course I thought about my children and thought about my great-niece and nephew, but there was this one sister at church. I really didn't know her well-it was the daughter of a sister, whose infant had died; he was about two months old. And it was just really on my heart to dedicate the book to the memory of this child. "Now, on your first thought, you think, 'I don't know this woman personally', but I really followed the leading of my heart, so when the book came out and the young woman read the dedication, she shared with her mother how she had been praying the memory and spirit of her child would not be forgotten. "We had never talked about that. When she saw the dedication, it was a confirmation to her" [that her child's memory would live on]. "I simply go with what's on my heart to do, and when I see how much it blesses people, I have to go back and realize that this thing's bigger than just 'oh, I felt like I wanted to do something nice.'"
The value of sisterhood
Besides her involvement with enriching the lives of children through her art, sisterhood is another subject close to Annie's heart. "I think every woman needs a woman in her life to love. When my mom dealt with mental illness, there were no brothers in the home. There were generations of women so there were always supportive women around. And for me, my first supportive sister was actually my biological sister. "Life-changes threw us some curve balls where we were separated, and I was sent to live with my father. Once I was split from my biological sister, I felt I had to have this supportive connection within my life because it helps me to do what I do even better. You really need that perspective of another woman."
Embracing Freedom
Annie's advice to other women is to truly embrace the freedom to be yourselves without restriction. "As we grow older, we often fall into roles and expectations created by others. We sometimes box ourselves up. "You don't have to do it like someone else does it. And that takes a lot of strength, to embrace the freedom to simply be yourself. And once you do that, does it guarantee that everybody will like you? No, but you know, you'll always have a sense of respect from folks…embrace that freedom to love yourself." Annie is currently working on an I Can Read art series of 25 paintings which will appear in April 2005 at the National Afro-American Museum in Wilberforce, Ohio. You can se samples of her work online. Annie is also available for speaking to women's groups.
_________________________________________
Jan Hawkins is a local freelance writer living in northern Kentucky. Cincinnati Woman Magazine is published monthly by Niche Publishing and Media LLC of Cincinnati, Ohio. This article is reprinted courtesy of Cincinnati Woman Magazine. © 2004 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
By Jan Hawkins Cincinnati Woman Magazine
Annie Ruth considers being called a Renaissance woman a compliment, not because it describes the period of art and literature after the Dark Ages, but because the French definition means "rebirth". Her "rebirth" is what enables her to share her gift of art in a way that impacts others through the spirit that emanates from a create work. Just one look at her website, www.annieruth.com, and the visitor has a clear indication she is available to help promote positive themes wherever she goes.
Community Projects
An expert in mixed media, Annie makes artists visits to most of the schools in the region, demonstrating how to integrate various art forms into the curriculum, especially language art or cultural art lessons. She works with several arts organizations in the city-the WCET Arts Initiative, Cincinnati Arts Association, and the Arts Consortium are three. She is also regularly commissioned by area businesses and nonprofits for special art projects-Fifth Third, Reading for Life, UC, WCPO, Procter & Gamble, Urban League, and ProKids are but a few. Some like Fifth Third commission Annie each year to create artwork for their Profiles in Courage awards, which go to African Americans in the community who have faced life's challenges and won. Her list of awards and accomplishments fills two pages: commissioned paintings in permanent collections; original paintings used in Head Start and Child Literacy programs; mural-sized paintings in a local children's clinic; author of adult and young adult books and CD's; illustrated coloring and activity books; designer of note and greeting cards; teaching artist and consultant; educational enrichment awards; artist in residence awards; state awards for community service…activities that all promote reading and literacy, women and sisterhood, positive art and literature. The list is extensive. Where did all this start?
Sources of Inspiration
"I think I was about three years old. I hear it ringing in my head all the time, my Mama would say, 'oh, my baby can draw…oh baby. That's such a pretty picture." "I had great reinforcement at home, of my mom instilling 'if you want to do it, you can do it.' I had great educators, and I have to say this, particularly with Cincinnati Public Schools getting a bad rap at times, I came through Cincinnati Public Schools. I started at College Hill Elementary. I had a teacher who would encourage me to draw and paint, and I got my first exposure to an art contest in the third grade. It was a brotherhood art contest for Brotherhood Week." That was the first contest Annie remembers winning. But art isn't the only factor driving Annie's life. Her spirituality is also a powerful force, though she hesitates at the label. "I don't really look at myself as a spiritual person; it's just second nature. I know that what I have in terms of my gift is from God, and it's meant to help other people. I didn't understand that at first. I used to always say, 'I want to be a doctor' I want to be a doctor, because Mom was sick and I really didn't understand her sickness that well." (Annie's mom suffered from mental illness.) "I'm under the belief that God's Spirit is ever present within me and in whatever situation that I face or come across, even the simple things-sometimes it may seem really simple to someone else, but if something is really heavy on my heart to do, it's my belief that is God's way of beckoning or talking to me saying, 'Hey, this is something that I want to do through you.'"
In memory of a child
Annie Ruth gives an example. "When I did the illustrations for the book, When My Mama Reads to Me, we were writing the dedication. And when I sat and thought about the dedication, of course I thought about my children and thought about my great-niece and nephew, but there was this one sister at church. I really didn't know her well-it was the daughter of a sister, whose infant had died; he was about two months old. And it was just really on my heart to dedicate the book to the memory of this child. "Now, on your first thought, you think, 'I don't know this woman personally', but I really followed the leading of my heart, so when the book came out and the young woman read the dedication, she shared with her mother how she had been praying the memory and spirit of her child would not be forgotten. "We had never talked about that. When she saw the dedication, it was a confirmation to her" [that her child's memory would live on]. "I simply go with what's on my heart to do, and when I see how much it blesses people, I have to go back and realize that this thing's bigger than just 'oh, I felt like I wanted to do something nice.'"
The value of sisterhood
Besides her involvement with enriching the lives of children through her art, sisterhood is another subject close to Annie's heart. "I think every woman needs a woman in her life to love. When my mom dealt with mental illness, there were no brothers in the home. There were generations of women so there were always supportive women around. And for me, my first supportive sister was actually my biological sister. "Life-changes threw us some curve balls where we were separated, and I was sent to live with my father. Once I was split from my biological sister, I felt I had to have this supportive connection within my life because it helps me to do what I do even better. You really need that perspective of another woman."
Embracing Freedom
Annie's advice to other women is to truly embrace the freedom to be yourselves without restriction. "As we grow older, we often fall into roles and expectations created by others. We sometimes box ourselves up. "You don't have to do it like someone else does it. And that takes a lot of strength, to embrace the freedom to simply be yourself. And once you do that, does it guarantee that everybody will like you? No, but you know, you'll always have a sense of respect from folks…embrace that freedom to love yourself." Annie is currently working on an I Can Read art series of 25 paintings which will appear in April 2005 at the National Afro-American Museum in Wilberforce, Ohio. You can se samples of her work online. Annie is also available for speaking to women's groups.
_________________________________________
Jan Hawkins is a local freelance writer living in northern Kentucky. Cincinnati Woman Magazine is published monthly by Niche Publishing and Media LLC of Cincinnati, Ohio. This article is reprinted courtesy of Cincinnati Woman Magazine. © 2004 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.