Restoring reflections: The gentle power of Annie Ruth

Kareem A. Simpson | Tuesday, July 22, 2025

In a city known for its stoic skyline and winding rivers, there are voices that flow beneath the surface. Voices that are steady, unwavering, and full of quiet fire. And then there’s Annie Ruth.

Annie Ruth is more than an artist. She is a vessel of knowing, a creative matriarch whose artistry stretches far beyond galleries and installations. Her work lives in the marrow of neighborhoods, in the eyes of community, in the stories of elders, and in the breath of little Black girls learning to love their reflections.

“I’m inspired by life itself,” she told me, her voice deliberate and sacred. “My last major installation, On Her Shoulders, was created to honor the stories of Black women in Cincinnati. It held space for our pain, and just as importantly, for our joy.”

Unveiled in 2021 at the Cincinnati Museum Center and supported through ArtsWave’s Truth and Reconciliation Grant for Black and Brown artists, On Her Shoulders became a visual chorus—a celebration of Black womanhood, leadership, service, and legacy. And though Annie was one of the women honored, she wears that acknowledgment with a kind of humility that’s almost disarming.

“My work has always been rooted in representation," she said. “I remember being a little girl and not seeing myself in any of the places I dreamed about. Not seeing my beauty, my brilliance reflected anywhere.”

She began creating the mirrors she never had with visual art, poetry and presence.
Her journey began early. A student of art from childhood, Annie sharpened her skills at Aiken High School, studied at the University of Cincinnati, and served as a graphic designer in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. But her artistry was never just technical. It was also spiritual.

“I’ve always seen art as a tool for healing,” she shared. “It’s how I learned to breathe.”
And that breath, that sacred exhale of creative release, has carried her into classrooms, community centers, correctional facilities, and quiet spaces where healing is most needed. Wherever Annie shows up, she brings both a curriculum and a calling.

Helen AdamsAnnie Ruth“Creative expression can be the bridge,” she said. “It helps students connect to themselves and to one another.”

Her genius just doesn’t shout. It also listens. It leans in. It hands the brush back to the community and says: You matter. You belong. Create from that place.

Ruth doesn’t just make art. She makes room: Room for transformation. Room for visibility. Room for possibility.

“It’s a reminder,” she said. “A reminder for you. For all of us.”

Annie Ruth teaches us to recognize ourselves again. To name our worth and see our brilliance even when the mirror lies.

In a city still learning how to honor its full story, Annie Ruth dares to believe beauty belongs to us all. Not in fragments, but in full. Not in whispers, but in song.

Stay informed about what’s next for Annie Ruth at annieruth.com.

Restoring reflections: The gentle power of Annie Ruth

Read more articles by Kareem A. Simpson.

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