Ruth Foote, originally from the Detroit area, currently teaches photography at Owens Community College in Toledo, Ohio. She is also a part time resident of upstate New York where she spends summers.

Discouraged from becoming a “starving artist” by family members, Ruth studied environmental biology at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After earning her Bachelors degree, she spent several years in the environmental advocacy field working for watchdog organizations such as the Sierra Club. Her career took a different direction after she rekindled her personal interest in photography and pursued her MFA at Southern Illinois University.

During her graduate work, she discovered her passion for teaching and has been in the classroom ever since. Prior to Owens, she taught at a number of colleges and universities throughout the Midwest, including Rochester Institute of Technology, Skidmore College, and University of Michigan. Her teaching spans beginning to advanced levels in both wet darkroom and digital applications. 

Ruth’s award winning work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.  Her personal artwork covers a range of subjects and technologies. She believes that the message of the work drives what medium is most appropriate. Movement and multiple exposures are distinct visual elements in much of her work as she seeks images that convey an interpretive emotional feel rather than a descriptive illustration of fact.