By M.Sebastian Araujo

Provincetown has always been a haven for Art and those who make it. For some Artists it is more than a haven,its an inspiration. To me there is no one who embodies the spirit of both the place like Ms.Ruthie Rogers! Recently we had a chat and she explained how this lady who was taught to paint by the Marguerite Bourgeoys nuns at the Villa Maria Convent, Montreal came to be the HUG-able Ptown artist  we all LOVE today!

What in the world around you affects your creativity?

I have to be in a peaceful safe uncluttered space with lots of good light. It is Mother Nature and her beauty of color and reflections of sky on water that stimulates my creativity.Wanting to capture a feeling, a mood, the serenity of nature…..

What changes do you see in the Ptown ART scene today…?

I see the older artists hanging on to the past, (realism and Impressionism) and younger artists bringing a fresh face of modern and erotic to the scene… I feel the art scene thriving and growing in this town as never before.

What in Life inspires your work?

Hahahaha…. The wine, the food, the socializing!!!! And then they see the art!!! No, seriously, art can soothe or upset the mind… Some find the need to stroke the senses.. Some have yet to discover art….

Was there a “shining lightbulb” moment in your life when you realized that you were an artist?

My shining lightbulb went off when an oil painting of mine was chosen to hang in a Juried Show at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum!

What is it about Ptown that keeps you and other creative people living here or coming back?

 Provincetown is like no other place I have ever visited. I immediately felt at home when I visited back in the late Sixties… This town has an energy that I believe can either make or break you… The energy is real and intense…. The town is full of artists, writers, poets, all crowded into a three mile by one mile radius… Let the fun begin!!!!! And remember it is a safe town where the freedom to be yourself remains strong!!!!!

It would seem serendipitous that this lovely lady from the north would one day wash ashore like so many of us have.How wonderful to have Ruthie in Ptown. Amid the changes in a turbulent world, this old place seems to continue to nurture and attract characters who help creativity thrive and bloom on the craggy coastline of old Cape Cod!