Ruth Barkley

Ruth is affectionately called the "Grandma Moses" of the Art Center. An art major in high school, Barkley's dreams of attending the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts were thwarted by the early death of her mother, which left Ruth to care for her family. Barkley worked for 19 years as a nurse's aid at Lankenau Hospital. Today she remains very active in the senior club at SCEC and in her church. Part Cherokee and Blackfoot, she often populates her paintings with Native American figures. Ruth's paintings are inspired by her rich memories of summers in the south and other life experiences.