Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 2-24-17

Local
Anthena Society To Celebrate Black History And Honor Folk Artist
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Guest artist, Mrs. Ruby C. Williams of Bealsville celebrates 50 years of painting professionally
The Anthena Society, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to creating a forum for interaction, collaboration and to improving the status of women through equality, broader acceptance of women in professions, and other posi- tions of responsibility and ex- panded educational and career development, will host its first official Black History Month celebration. The event will be held on Saturday, February 25th, as their “February Bonus.”
Co-chairs of the event are Ms. Lorna L. Taylor, Presi- dent/CEO Premier EyeCare, and Atty. Fentrice
Driskell, Carlton Fields, Jor- den, Burt, P. A. Giving leader- ship in planning are Dr. Juel Shannon Smith of JUE-L Consulting Group and First African-American President of the Anthena Society, Inc., and Ms. Bonnie J. Carr, CPA, former VP for Administration & CFO, Hillsborough Commu- nity College.
Atty. Jeanne Trudeau Tate is President of Anthena Society.
The featured artist will be
Mrs. Ruby C. Williams,
who is known for her brightly painted folk art. She was born and raised in Bealsville, a community formed by freed slaves in 1865. She runs a pro- duce stand and walk-in gallery on State Rd. 60 in Bealsville.
A self-taught artist, Mrs. Williams launched her folk art career in 1991 when a passer-by noticed her brightly painted signs advertising her
fruits and vegetables. Her journey has led her into class- rooms, galleries, and muse- ums in Florida and nationally.
“She represents one of a number of iconic African American ‘she-roes’ important in American history including Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Mary Bethune, artist Elizabeth Catlett, Lois Mailou-Jones and per- haps some of our mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers who con- tributed to society, but often go unrecognized,” stated Dr. Juel Smith.
“Ms. Ruby's great-grand- mother, Mary Reddick, was the only woman in the group of 12 freed slaves that founded Bealsville in 1865. And Ms. Ruby's art studio/vegetable stand is located only 2 miles from where her great grand- mother lived as a slave,” she continued.
Ms. Bonnie Carr of Plant City took Dr. Smith shopping for folk art and they ended up at Ms. Ruby’s roadside produce stand/art gallery. The tall African-Amer- ican woman welcomed the ladies and encouraged them to come closer.
Dr. Smith says, “I was so impressed and emotionally touched with her presence, her history and her art that I told Ms. Taylor and Atty. Driskell, both avid art lovers, and they too, fell in love with
Ms. Ruby (as she is affection- ately called).”
When the group was asked what they were going to do for the February Bonus Program, it was suggested and agreed upon to have a Black Empha- sis Month Program to honor Ms. Ruby and her art. Her art is for sale.
Ms. Ruby, a spiritual businesswoman, minister and grandmother, illustrated a children’s book, I Am Ruby. She has been honored numer- ous times.
Ruby C. Williams
PAGE 2-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017