Gale Fulton Ross facts for kids

Gale Fulton Ross is a talented African-American visual artist who lives in Sarasota, Florida. She is mainly known for her paintings, but she also creates amazing portraits, prints, and sculptures. Her art tells powerful stories, especially about people and their feelings.

Early Life and Education

Gale Fulton Ross was born in Medford, Massachusetts, in 1947. She was the oldest of nine children in her family.

Her journey into art began at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. There, she experimented with many different styles and materials, including sculpture. She later continued her studies at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, focusing on fine arts and art history.

Besides her formal schooling, Ross also learned from experienced artists. She studied with Melvin Johnson in Boston, Cleveland Bellow in California, and Pierre Parsus in France. These teachers helped her grow and develop her unique artistic skills.

A Career in Art

At first, Ross trained to be an art curator, a person who manages art collections in museums. This job led her to travel the world. She visited Africa, Europe, and even China to study art and create her own paintings. These travels gave her new ideas and inspiration for her work.

Famous Portraits

Early in her career, Ross became famous for her incredible portraits. A portrait is a painting of a person that captures their likeness and personality. She has painted many well-known people, including:

• Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a famous leader from South Africa.
• Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Arthur Ashe, a legendary tennis player.
• A. Philip Randolph, an important civil rights leader.
• Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts.
• Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, a famous composer of musicals.

Artistic Style and Beliefs

Ross is inspired by classic artists like Michelangelo and Rembrandt, as well as modern African-American artists like Charles Wilbert White and Elizabeth Catlett. Her art is a mix of two styles: figurative (showing things as they look in real life) and abstract (using shapes and colors to show ideas and feelings).

She believes that artists have an important role in society. In her view, artists help people think about what it means to be human. Her paintings often show powerful images of people, especially African-American women. She feels that to be a better artist, she must first become a more understanding and sensitive person.

Helping Young Artists

Ross is also dedicated to helping the next generation of artists. She started the Fulton-Ross Fund for Visual Artists of Sarasota County. This organization gives grants and support to young artists who are just starting their careers, helping them to succeed.

Awards and Recognition

Gale Fulton Ross has received many awards for her amazing work. Here are a few of them:

• 1990: Atlanta Life Painters Award.
• 1992: Arts & Humanity Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.
• 1993: An award to work and study in the People's Republic of China.
• 1996: Humanitarian Award from the West Coast Center for Human Development.
• 2008: Highest Achiever award from Tempo Magazine in Sarasota.

Her artwork is so important that it is included in the collections of famous museums, such as the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.