Ruth Skinner

Ruth Skinner works as an arts organizer, researcher, sessional instructor, and publisher in London, Ontario. She is finishing a doctoral degree in Art and Visual Culture at Western University, where her research encompasses experimental publishing practices, artists’ books, forensics, and clairvoyance. She has also completed a Masters Degree in Art History at Western University, in addition to a Bachelor of Photography at Emily Carr and a Bachelor of English Literature at Memorial University in Newfoundland. She is a co-organizer of Support project space and operates the art imprint Edna Press. Previously she was Chair of the Board of Forest City Gallery, cofounder of Good Sport project space, and manager of DNA Gallery's bookshop.

Ruth holds a Joseph-Armand Bombardier Scholarship and a Canadian Graduate Scholarship for her Master's and Doctoral research, awarded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She has authored a number of exhibition texts and essays—most recently for Forest City Gallery, Zalucky Contemporary, and Blackwood Gallery's SDUK. Since 2013, Ruth has occupied a range of academic roles at Western University including that of Course Instructor, Guest Lecturer, Researcher and Manager of the Artlab Gallery. Ruth is also a member of the cross-disciplinary research team behind the Renal Community Photo Initiative, an ongoing and participant-centric study which invites individuals undergoing dialysis to express themselves and their daily lives through photography.

As of 2020, Ruth has joined the newly formed Embassy Cultural House Advisory Circle, and will aid in programming and development as the project continues to grow.

Publications by Edna Press

dog in swimming pool, 2018

Canadian Artists' Pension Program postcard series, Parker Branch. Published by Edna Press, 2020

A Study of Mundane Being. Photographs by Jeff Downer; writings by Justas Patkauskas. Published by Edna Press, 2020

A Study of Mundane Being, 2020

dog in swimming pool. Mike Jordan, Kelly Jazvac, Kim Ondaatje, Lena Suksi; edited by Ruth Skinner. Published by Edna Press, 2018

Black Box: The Objectless Perception Game. Artwork by Sarah Munro; writing by Faith Patrick. Published by Edna Press, 2019

Black Box Launch, 2019

EDITORIAL TEAM

ONLINE FOUNDER
Tariq Hassan Gordon

COFOUNDERS & CURATORIAL ADVISORS
Jamelie Hassan & Ron Benner

ADVISORY CIRCLE
Samer Abdelnour, Wyn Geleynse, Fern Helfand, S F Ho, Lorraine Klaasen, Judith Rodger, Ruth Skinner, Mary Lou and Dan Smoke,  and Lucas Stenning

COORDINATING EDITORS
Tariq Hassan Gordon & Olivia Mossuto

WEB DESIGN & SOCIAL MEDIA
Tariq Hassan Gordon, Ira Kazi, Olivia Mossuto, Niloufar Salimi,   JoAnna Weil

VIRTUAL TOUR
Andreas Buchwaldt

PRINT PUBLICATIONS
Blessy Augustine, Shelley Kopp, Olivia Mossuto

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Andreas Buchwaldt, Blessy Augustine, Anahí González, Ira Kazi, Shelley Kopp, Ashar Mobeen, Niloufar Salimi,  Jenna Rose Sands, JoAnna Weil & Michelle Wilson.

OUR STORY

Artists Jamelie Hassan and Ron Benner and jazz musician Eric Stach founded the Embassy Cultural House (1983-1990) located in the restaurant portion of the Embassy Hotel at 732 Dundas Street in East London. Other former members of the board were: Debrann Eastabrook, Henry Eastabrook, Sharron Forrest, Wyn Geleynse, Janice Gurney, Jean Hay (1929 - 2008), Doug Mitchell, Kim Moodie, Gerard Pas, Peter Rist, Wanda Sawicki, Jean Spence and Jennie White. In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Embassy Cultural House was re-envisioned as a virtual artist-run space and website.

This project is supported by the Ontario Arts Council and the London Arts Council through the City of London's Community Arts Investment Program.

Thank you to our partners

E M B A S S Y C U L T U R A L H O U S E . C A

London, Ontario is on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Lenape, Attawandaron and Huron-Wendat peoples, at the forks of Deshkan Ziibi (Antler River), an area subject to the Dish with One Spoon Wampum and other treaties.