About
The Ruth Foundation for the Arts (Ruth Arts) is dedicated to meeting the evolving needs and lived experiences of artists, communities, and arts organizations whose work is anchored by the visual and the performing arts.
Based in Milwaukee and national in scope, Ruth Arts honors our benefactor Ruth DeYoung Kohler II (1941–2020) with inventive approaches to philanthropy that are rooted in creativity, experimentation, and access.
Ruth Arts currently supports a dynamic cultural landscape in three distinct ways: grant programs for organizations nominated via Artist Choice, continuing Ruth’s personal giving, and an invite-only initiatives program designed as multi-year thinking partnerships.
We remain curious.
Contact
For all press inquiries, please contact press@rutharts.org.
For all general inquiries, please contact info@rutharts.org.
Please sign up for our newsletter for information and announcements related to our programs:
As a new foundation still building capacity, we are not currently accepting unsolicited proposals.
Announcements
Check out the link below to learn more about the development of recent projects and the September 2024 opening of our new space in Milwaukee.
Team
Karen Patterson
Executive Director
Kim Nguyen
Program Director
Heidi Wirth
Operations Director
Rachel Reichert
Residency Manager
Zola Yi
Manager of Grant Programs
Symphony Swan-Zawadi
Manager of Public Initiatives
Sara Caron
Executive Coordinator
Board of Trustees
Susan Flader
Dawn Ripkey
Paul Tilleman
Advisors
Deana Haggag
Strategic Advisor
Norah JonesPrincipal & Founder
C3 Legal
Terri Yoho
Trustee Liaison
Colophon
Identity by Omnivore. Site in collaboration with Rahul Subhash Shinde & Lukas Eigler-Harding.