Ruth Tears (1919-1971) was a painter and educator in Dallas, Texas. She was born in Detroit, Michigan and studied at Southern Methodist University. She lost her leg in an car accident in 1940. During World War II, Tears worked for the U.S. Army Map Service. She was active in Texas art societies and organizations.
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
The papers of painter and educator Ruth Tears measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1955 to 1971. Found are biographical materials, course descriptions, printed material, photographs of Tears and works of art, and slides.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
The collection was donated in 1981 by Lisa Olsen, daughter of Ruth Tears.
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on Reel 2684 including biographical information; correspondence, 1953-1970; lecture notes; 4 prints, undated; financial material, 1963-1971; awards, 1963-1968; clippings; exhibition catalogs; and 4 scrapbooks, 1951-1967. Originals were returned to the lender, Lisa Olsen, after microfilming and are not described in the collection container inventory.
The collection is available on 35mm microfilm reels 2684 and 3476 at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Ruth Tears papers, 1955-1971. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The collection was microfilmed after receipt and was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Jayna Josefson in 2023 with support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.
Biographical material includes resumes and short autobiographical sketches. Course materials describe painting classes taught by Tears at Carrizo Lodge, Ruidoso, New Mexico, the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts and Dallas College of Southern Methodist University. Photographs and slides depict Tears, her studio, and works of art. Printed materials include clippings, exhibition announcements, catalogs, and invitations. Also found are three undated ink sketches.
Biographical Material
Printed Material, Catalogs and Invitations
Printed Material, Clippings