Ruth G. Waddy was a pioneering printmaker, cultural organizer, and tireless advocate for African American artists whose work helped shape the foundation of Black visual arts on the West Coast. Known for her powerful linocuts that celebrate the dignity and perseverance of everyday people, and for her organizational leadership that opened doors for countless others, Waddy’s legacy is both artistic and institutional.

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and raised in Minnesota, Waddy initially trained as a social worker before turning to art later in life. After moving to Los Angeles in the 1940s, she began studying printmaking in the 1950s, drawn to its democratic, accessible medium and its ability to reach broad audiences. Her stark black-and-white linocuts often depict expressive, monumental figures, mothers, laborers, and community leaders rendered with a rhythmic, sculptural simplicity that evokes both African sculpture and the graphic language of social realism. Her work combines bold formal clarity with moral conviction, conveying the strength, unity, and endurance of Black life.

Beyond her own art, Waddy became one of the most influential advocates for African American artists of the 20th century. In 1962, she founded Art West Associated, a collective that brought together Black artists in Los Angeles for exhibitions and mutual support. She organized shows, lobbied museums for inclusion, and tirelessly worked to ensure Black artists were recognized as essential contributors to American culture.

In the 1970s, Waddy co-edited with Samella Lewis the groundbreaking book Black Artists on Art (Volumes I & II), which presented a national survey of African American artists in their own words. The project was revolutionary in its scope and autonomy, giving voice to artists who had long been excluded from mainstream art discourse.

Her own work was exhibited widely, including in Two Centuries of Black American Art (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1976), a milestone exhibition that acknowledged her dual role as artist and activist. Waddy’s prints are now held in major collections including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the California African American Museum, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Selected Exhibitions

Prints by RUTH WADDY, United Methodist Church, Pasadena, CA, 1976

The Negro in American Art, Dickson Art Galleries, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 1966

New Perspectives in Black Art, Oakland Museum, Oakland, CA, 1967

A Vibrant Force - Our Children, California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA, 1979

Impressions/Expressions: Black American Graphics, Studio Museum in Harlem, NY, 1980

California Black Printmakers, California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA, 1983

Black Imagery '82 Part I, Brockman Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 1983

Ruth Waddy, A Retrospective, Gallery Plus, Los Angeles, CA, 1986

Black Women Artists: North Carolina Connections, NCCU Art Museum, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 1990

Black Power, Black Art...and the struggle continues: political imagery from the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, Fine Arts Gallery, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, 1994

From Challenge to Triumph: African American Prints & Printmaking, 1867-2002, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art, Brooklyn, NY, 2003

African American Artists in Los Angeles: A Survey Exhibition: Pathways (1966-1989), California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA, 2005

Now Dig This: Art & Black Los Angeles, 1960–1980, Hammer Museum of Art, University of California-Los Angeles, CA, 2011-12

Place of Validation: Art and Progression, California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA, 2012

Black Artists on Art: Past, Present, and Future, Crocker Art Museum, CA, 2022

Ruth G. Waddy: A Printmaking Prophet, Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA), 2024