“Ruth Starr Rose: Revelations of African American Life in Maryland and the World” will be on view at the Mitchell Gallery at St. John’s College from January 11 through February 26, 2017. Ruth Starr Rose was a prolific artist who lived in Easton (1887-1965). This comprehensive show of her works offers a rare glimpse into African American life at the turn of the century on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The exhibition includes scenes of Eastern Shore life and labor, visual depictions of spirituals, images of African American military heroes, and her work in Mexico and Haiti. The daughter of a wealthy white family that was endowed with a keen, progressive social conscience, Rose had a great love and respect for the African Americans in her community, and a keen sense of social justice permeates her remarkable works. Rose’s art expands our knowledge of the lives and histories of America’s earliest black communities. The exhibit includes paintings, prints, sketches, and informational panels that include photographs.
A Sunday afternoon public reception at St. John’s College will take place on Sunday, January 15, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., for members of the general public.