Ruth-Ann Thorn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruth Ann Thorn
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| Born | |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Art director, collector, philanthropist |
| Years active | 1998 |
Ruth-Ann Thorn is an amazing artist, art collector, and filmmaker from Vista, California, USA. She is a member of the Luiseño people. Ruth-Ann is famous for helping to share the culture of Native American artists, especially her own Luiseño community, through art.
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Ruth-Ann's Early Life
Ruth-Ann Thorn was born in San Francisco, California. Her father, Henry Rodriguez, was a Luiseño Native American. He was part of a peaceful protest called the Occupation of Alcatraz in 1969. Her mother, Gloria Lee, was an artist and a women's rights activist. Ruth-Ann's parents met in San Francisco during a time when many Native Americans were moving to cities.
When Ruth-Ann was five, her family moved to Portland. They moved back to San Diego when she was twelve. In her early twenties, she started working in restaurants. She also studied theater and art at Palomar College. Later, she went to the University of Hawaii for more studies. While there, she worked at a Hyatt Regency hotel in Waikiki Beach for five years.
Starting an Art Career
Ruth-Ann worked at Images International, a well-known art gallery in Hawaii. This gallery closed during a tough economic time in the 1990s. After it closed, Ruth-Ann decided to open her own art gallery. She started by selling art from a U-haul trailer in hotel meeting rooms!
In 1998, Ruth-Ann Thorn and her mother, Gloria Lee, opened their first gallery together called EC Gallery. Before this, Ruth-Ann had spent five years at Images International. This experience inspired her to have her own space. At first, banks would not give her a loan. But she kept trying!
She opened her first EC Gallery in La Jolla in 1998. Later, she moved it to Fashion Valley in San Diego. In 2002, she started Crown Thorn Publishing. This company helped new artists become known to art collectors. Over the years, she opened several more art galleries across the USA. In November 2018, she opened a very large gallery in Solana Beach.
Helping Native American Artists
Ruth-Ann works closely with Tribal Councils and Cultural Committees. Her goal is to show the history and culture of tribes through art. She is even building an art gallery just for Native American artists. She has worked with the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.
Currently, she leads the Rincon Economic Development Corporation. In April 2022, she organized an event called "This is Indian Country." This event showed the amazing work of seven Native American artists. It helped to promote local culture, art, and artists.
Ruth-Ann also helped create Imprint. This is a special system that uses blockchain technology to protect art. It helps make sure Native American art is real and not fake. She worked with the Southwestern Association of Indian Arts (SWAIA). Together, they gave 800 Native American artists digital titles for their artwork. This helps protect their creations.
Featured Artists at EC Gallery
Ruth-Ann Thorn is great at finding new and talented artists for EC Gallery. She helps them become famous among art collectors. She helped artists like Michael Flohr, Henry Asencio, Christopher M, and Michael Summers. Now, these artists are known all over the world. Ruth-Ann even helped Asencio when he was having a very hard time.
"Art of the City" Series
Ruth-Ann has a YouTube channel called "Art of the City." On this channel, she shares art shows and documentaries. She travels to different places to film these shows. Her galleries are in many cities, and now she wants to bring artists from different regions to her shows. She plans to host two big shows: "Winter Wonderland" in January and "Hearts and Flowers" in February.
The "Art of the City" documentary series started in 2019. Ruth-Ann wants people to understand that art is more than just a picture. It tells the story of the artist's life and experiences. She believes that a place and its art are connected. To truly understand art, you need to know about the place it came from. When people get to know the artist, they can understand the art even better.
For this series, she travels across the United States. She interviews artists who have lived in a specific city for over 25 years. In Santa Fe, she interviewed Roxanne Swentzell, George Rivera, Raymond Nordwall, and Nocona Burgess. In San Diego, she talked to artists like James Hubbell, Victor Ochoa, Michael Flohr, and her mother, Gloria Lee. In New Orleans, she interviewed Willie Birch, Michael Guidry, Molly Maguire, James Michalopoulos, and Brandon “B-Mike” Odums.
"This is Indian Country" TV Show
Ruth-Ann Thorn's new TV show, "This is Indian Country," started in November 2022. It is shown on FNX. The show features modern Native Americans. It highlights their work in many creative areas. These include art, music, cooking, dance, and comedy.
Awards and Recognitions
- 2022 - Ruth-Ann was featured in "The Fashion 2022 Issue" by Native Max Magazine.
- 2019 - Her gallery, Exclusive Collection Gallery, won The American Art Award (AAA).
- 2015 - Her gallery, Exclusive Collection Gallery, also won The American Art Awards (AAA).
