Artists
About
Ron Rutherford is a visual and graphic artist, arts instructor and musician born in Detroit, MI in 1959. A 1978 graduate of Cass Technical High School in Detroit, and Parsons School of Design in New York City in 1982, has over 40 years of experience within the arts. As a visual artist, he's passionate about drawing and draughtsmanship in his works. Utilizing pencil, pen & ink and watercolors, he loves imaging the human body combined with healing symbols from different ancient cultures, scarification, medicinal plants, spiritual and African-American historical symbols and themes. As a musician, he was taught Caribbean guitar styles by world renown Reggae guitarist Earl Chinna Smith. He has backed many major Jamaican singers throughout the years and now writes and performs his own compositions.
“Symbols play a large role in how I conceive my ideas, whether is visual or musical, as well as tribal scarification. My goal is when viewers explore my drawings, paintings or listen to my musical compositions, my use of visual and musical symbolism will deepen their experience and connect them with ancestors of the past.”
Artist Statement
My main focus with my art is the health and healing of body, mind and spirit. I like to concentrate on African-American culture, but I understand many cultural ethnic groups make up mankind. I find that utilizing symbols and designs from as many cultures as I can, I can connect all of us as humans with a common goal. How we live while in this dimension, where we think we are going go after transition.
Gallery
Upcoming Exhibitions:
2026 Annual Flower Show, National Conference of Artists Michigan TBD
2026 Light & Sound Exhibition Hannan Center Kayrod Gallery - May 23-July 19
2026 Hot DAM Detroit Artist Market - May 29-June 26
Past Exhibitions:
2026 Group Exhibition, Watercolor painting, Hendrie Salon Exhibition: A Survey of Black Artists in Detroit, Vol II,
Detroit MI
2026 Group Exhibition, Drawings/Watercolors, The Emerging Artist Exhibition Series #11 Feb. 28th-29th, Detroit
MI
2025 Group Exhibition, Drawings, Celebration of Cass Tech Talent, Blackbird Gallery, Farmington Hills MI
2025 Group Exhibition & Auction, NCA Michigan Annual holiday Show, Detroit MI
2025 Group Exhibition, Drawing, Grand Gesture, Detroit Public Library Main Branch, Detroit MI
2025 Group Exhibition, Drawing, The Hendrie Holiday Exhibit, Detroit MI
2025 Group Exhibition, Watercolors, Gifted VI 6th Annual Exhibit, Irwin House, Detroit MI
2025 Group Exhibition & Auction, Drawings, NCA 34th Annual Art Party, Detroit MI
2025 Group Exhibition, Drawings Canton Fine Arts 31st Annual Exhibition, Canton MI
2025 Group Exhibition, Drawings Emerge Art Festival, Hannan Center Kayrod Gallery, Detroit MI
2025 Group Exhibition, Drawings and watercolors, Design Studio 6, Emerging Artist #8, Detroit MI
2025 Group Exhibition, Drawings and watercolors, Design Studio 6, Emerging Artist #7, Detroit MI
2025 Group Exhibition, Drawings and watercolors, Mac Gallery, Detroit MI
2024 Group Exhibition, Drawing, Black & White, Grosse Pointe Artists Association on The War
Memorial Campus, Grosse Pointe, MI
2024 Solo Exhibition, Drawings, Honoring Black Cowboys, Artist Talk, Source Booksellers, Detroit MI
2023 Group Exhibition, Drawings, Emerge Art Festival, Hannan Center, Detroit MI
2023 Group Exhibition, Figurative, Art Show International Gallery
2022 Group Exhibition, Portraits, Art Show International Gallery
2022 Group Exhibition, Drawing, Art Show International Gallery
1996 Group exhibition, Drawing, Plymouth Coffee Bean, Plymouth MI
1997 Group Exhibition, Michigan Artist, Lotus Arts Gallery, Plymouth MI
1988 Group Exhibition, Drawings for Descendants Day Program, Mayflower Congregational Church, Detroit MI
1988 Group Exhibition, Drawings, The Arts Gallery Fall/Winter Group Show, Detroit MI
1988 Group Exhibition, National Conference of Artists, Plymouth Congregational Church, Detroit MI
1987-88 First Annual Exhibition/sale, Detroit Festival of the Arts, Detroit MI
1987 Art exhibition and auction, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Detroit Scarab Club, Detroit MI
1986 First Unitarian Universalist Church Group show, Cass Corridor Artists, Detroit MI
1985 Paintings, Jamaica House Nightclub, Leland House Hotel, Detroit MI
Awards & Residencies:
2025 Staff Pick Award, Hannan Center Kayrod Gallery emerge Art Festival, Group show/Drawings
2025 Juror’s Honorable Mention, Hannan Center Kayrod Gallery emerge Art Festival, Group show/Drawing
2025 Talent Award, Art Show International Gallery, Los Angeles CA, Digital art show/competition, Portraits
2024 Best in Show, Grosse Pointe Artists Association on The War Memorial Campus, Group show Drawing
2023 Talent Award, Art Show International Gallery, Los Angeles CA, Digital art show/competition, Figurative
2022 Honorable Mention, Art Show International Gallery, Los Angeles CA, Digital art show/competition, Drawings
2022 Talent Award, Art Show International Gallery, Los Angeles CA, Digital art show/competition, Portraits
2004-05 Certificate of Appreciation, School District of the City of Highland Park,
2000 Service Award, Wayne State University
1999 Service Award, Wayne State University
1998 Presidents Exceptional Service Award, Wayne State University,
1998 Merit award, University & College Designers Association, Admissions Marketing Report,New Science Magazine
1997 Gold Medal, University & College Designers Association, Admissions Marketing Report, New Science Magazine
1997 Merit award, University & College Designers Association Admissions Marketing Report, Annual Report
1996 Illustration for article in Archaeological Research in Roman Egypt, Library of Congress, Wayne State University
Professor Norma Goldman
1995 Service Award, Presidential Bonus Award, Wayne State University
1993 University & College Designers Association, New Science Magazine Award of Excellence
1991 Advancement Leadership Award, Wayne State University
1978 Blue Ribbon Award, Scholastic Magazine, Poster Design