Ruth Van Sickle Ford (1897-1989) was born on this day, August 8th, in 1897. This portrait, part of the Society’s collections since 2000, is oil on canvas by Benjamin S. Kanne, 1929.
Lifelong Auroran Ruth Van Sickle Ford made her mark as a watercolor painter and art teacher. She graduated from the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts in 1918, where she later taught. She served as its president, director, and owner from 1937 through 1960, nurturing many artists.
Benjamin S. Kanne (1897-1952) came to the U.S. as a child with his family, Jewish immigrants from the Russian empire, settling in Chicago. He became an accomplished portrait artist. He was a close acquaintance of Ruth Ford through the Chicago Academy, and both had studio space at the famed Tree Studios.
