Explore the Art of Experience with Ruth Crowe

What’s unique about your studio and gallery space?

I think the difference is when an artist runs their own gallery space, it really takes on the artist’s personality. You have a lot more freedom to do what you want. When you’re showing your own artwork in your gallery, you get to set the tone. I can literally put whatever I want on the walls, and I don’t have to worry about offending anyone. 

I decided that the front space of my gallery would be for all my large pieces. There’s also a middle section with smaller items like cards and prints. I really want my art to be as accessible to as many people as possible. So, if you see something you like but don’t have the wall space or budget to purchase it, you can always find it in a smaller, more affordable size.  

I also try to create gifts or mementos—Douglas-based vintage photography turned into artwork. I want people to appreciate the history of the area and be able to take a piece of it home with them. 

What’s your artistic process?

A lot of times, I start with a title in mind. Sometimes, it’s tongue-in-cheek or has a hidden meaning. Then I find a vintage image and manipulate it in Photoshop to tell my story. 

For the next part of the process, I use an encaustic medium, a combination of beeswax and resin. When you heat it, you can paint with it. I use it to add texture over the image, which really changes the translucency of the whole piece. 

Is there a piece or project that you are especially proud of?

I created a traveling exhibit called the Journal Project, which contains 30 pieces of artwork and 30 written narratives about each piece. It’s basically the story of my life since I was 19—in the military, as an officer in the Los Angeles police department, as a college softball coach—and explains what I was going through during those experiences. In 2024, it won the Art Prize Jury Visibility Award. It’s also been in Florida, Chicago, and Ann Arbor galleries.  

What lessons do you try to instill during your art journal workshops for college students?

Whatever you think you will be doing with the rest of your life, you are absolutely wrong. Your life is really about all of the experiences you have. I’ve seen this in my own life. Everything has led me to becoming a working artist at age 55. I would never have expected that in a million years. 

What’s been your experience as a woman owning your own business in Douglas?

I’ve had great mentors—Mary Jo Lemanski from Water Street Gallery and Susan Martell and Beth Charles, who owned their own gallery in Douglas for a time. The leadership in Douglas, headed by Mayor Cathy North, is very helpful to the downtown businesses. You can’t do anything by yourself, so I’ve been lucky to have strong, smart, talented women help me along the way. 

What do you want people to know about visiting Douglas?

Douglas is a wonderful place to visit if you like going to galleries and eating at top-notch restaurants. As gallery owners, we get together and plan fun events. Gallery strolls, wine tasting, live music. We did a soup stroll this winter and even hosted a tailgating-themed stroll for the Super Bowl.

When people ask for restaurant recommendations, I always start with Blue Star Café or happystance for breakfast. For dinner, it has to be Everyday People Café, Wild Dog Grille, or Borrowed Time, all in Douglas. If you’re looking for a coffee shop, Respite Cappuccino Court has the best blueberry muffins I’ve ever had. Douglas is really growing, and I can’t wait for people to experience it this year.