
President Ruth Hemming received Ojai’s
2007 Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award
Ruth Hemming was recognized by the City of Ojail for her role in
supporting the arts in Ojai. Ruth, a retired teacher and administrator
has served as president of the Ojai Center for the Arts for three
consecutive terms.
The Arts Commission voted unanimously to recommend to the City Council
that Hemming be selected as the recipient of the 2007 Lifetime Achievement
in the Arts Award. The award, founded in 1987, is a tribute to Ojai
artists who have enhanced our understanding and appreciation for the
arts.
“Dr. Ruth Hemming exemplifies the Lifetime Achievement in the
Arts Award,” wrote Kathy McCann, the City's Arts Commission
liaison, in her City Council report. “As a result of Dr. Hemming’s
leadership, community fundraising, and personal generosity, the Ojai
Center for the Arts has received a new roof, heating and air-conditioning
in the theater, storage shed, and plumbing upgrades. In 2004, she
established an endowment fund in memory of her lifelong partner, Joan
Raymund, providing the Center with a source of dedicated financial
support. As President of the Ojai Center for the Arts, she continues
to give her time and talent selflessly to one of Ojai’s most
important art assets – the Ojai Center for the Arts.”
Hemming was born in Chicago where her father worked for the railroad
and her mother cared for her and her two younger brothers. When the
family moved to California, she attended Pasadena High School and
later attended U.C. Berkeley receiving her degree in journalism.
Hemming went on to receive her M.A degree in English from Mount Holyoke
College, and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the
University of La Verne. She has since had a 40 year career in Ventura
County education beginning as a journalism and English teacher at
Ventura College and later as a founding faculty member at Oxnard College.
In 2003, Hemming was elected to the Moorpark College Board of Directors
and is a member of the President’s Circle and is a board member
of the Ventura County College Foundation and the Ventura Rainbow Alliance.
Hemming moved to Ojai in 1986 with her life partner Joan Raymund
and began an association with the Ojai Center for the Arts, initially
serving as board secretary. Together, Raymund and Hemming shared a
love of literature and theatre for over 35 years. Although she lost
her lifetime partner several years ago, Hemming is still devoted to
the Art Center.
“What I really enjoy about working with the Art Center is the
energy and vitality of the place and its board members. It’s
always an exciting place to be, often with many things happening simultaneously,”
said Hemming.
The Art Center also received a city
plaque in “honor
of its role as the cultural center for the arts in Ojai” acknowledging
its history as the oldest nonprofit multi-purpose art center in California.
The Center was founded in 1936 by Dr. Charles Butler who envisioned
it as a facility for all the arts including theater, music, art, dance
and literary. It has served the valley for over six decades and now
includes a photography branch.
Congradulations Ruth !!!