Ruth Chase

Discipline: Visual Arts

Based In: Nashville, TN

Year at Millay: 1992

Awards/Honors: Artist of the Week, The Nashville Sign, Arts & Business Council, Nashville, TN (2022); Award Winner, Legendary Women Artists of Venice Awards, Venice Art Crawl, Venice, CA (2020); Artist-in-Residence, Artists In Communities Grant, Nevada County Arts Council, California Arts Council (2017–2019); Certificate of Appreciation, City of Los Angeles, State of California (2017); Grant Recipient, Individual Artist Grant, Carl Jacobs Foundation, Cincinnati, OH (2016).

Website: https://ruthchase.com/

My work explores the natural world, unseen energies, and the human spirit. Recently, I’ve become more attuned to electromagnetic fields, which has shifted my practice and deepened my exploration of how these invisible forces impact our bodies and surroundings. Using acrylic on canvas, I build up to 40 layers of thin washes, creating complex surfaces rich in color and texture. Hard lines outline figures and forms, often representing energy waves or electromagnetic fields that are not visible but detectable to those sensitive to them. At its core, my work is about belonging—how we relate to ourselves, each other, and the non-physical world.