2019 Walktober – Ellis Walter Ruley: Norwich Artist

The 2019 Walktober – Ellis Walter Ruley: Norwich Artist will be held on September 28th from 10 am to 11 am at Ellis Walter Ruley Memorial Park in Norwich.

Ellis Walter Ruley was a self-taught African American artist from Norwich. In 1933, he married a white woman named Wilhelmina Fox, and as Norwich’s first interracial couple, Ellis and Wilhelmina faced considerable unkindness from disapproving neighbors. The couple, along with extended family lived, in an old farmhouse off Hammond Ave. Slater Memorial Museum has examples of Ruley’s work and his paintings are housed in other collections across the country. Ruley died mysteriously in 1959 and is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Norwich. Join members of the Ellis Ruley Committee and learn about this important figure in Norwich’s history.

The walk is located at 28 Hammond Ave, Norwich, the road is narrow, please be aware of oncoming traffic. There is limited parking. There is no wheelchair access and no available restrooms. No dogs please. The walk will be 1 mile and it is moderate.