Celebrating the Legacy: Art Perspectives on Ruth Russell Williams (1932-2010)

Rick Russell, son of acclaimed North Carolina folk artist Ruth Russell Williams, will discuss his mother’s life and showcase her ever popular and famous artwork on March 28, 2015 from 11 am – 1 pm. Born and raised in Townsville, North Carolina, Williams drew inspiration for her works from family memories of growing up on a farm. One of her best-known paintings, “Outdoor Baptism,” appeared on the cover of an issue of Smithsonian magazine in 1993. The NCCU Art Museum in Durham showcased over fifty of her original works of art at the exhibit, “Ruth Russell Williams: Master Storyteller,” in 2009.

Rick Russell was born in Richmond, Virginia and now makes his home in Vance County. He attended Vance Senior High School and Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. During the mid 1970s, Russell relocated back to Henderson and became a resource teacher in the local school system. Today he is currently President, CEO of Ruth Russell Williams Enterprises, a noted newspaper columnist with the Daily Dispatch, style coach, and mentor.