UMass Boston

Professor Emerita Ruth Butler was known for her passion for life, for learning, and for others. For more than two decades at UMass Boston—seven of those as chair of the Art and Art History Department—Butler brought both rigor and vitality to the field. A specialist in 19th-century French art, she became internationally recognized for her groundbreaking work on sculptor Auguste Rodin, and is the only American to be appointed to the board of the Musée Rodin in Paris.

But what distinguished Ruth Butler’s career wasn’t simply her scholarly precision or curatorial discernment; it was her deep belief in the transformational power of public education. Leaving the prestigious University of Maryland in 1973 to join the newly formed UMass Boston campus downtown, she sought to teach students for whom education was only one part of a robust and connected life. She believed in public education, not as an ideal, but as a necessity—one capable of opening the very doors to the world. Fueled by that vision, she established the Ruth Butler Travel Scholarship, a fund she created in 2003 and endowed in 2007.

The scholarship reflects Butler’s own belief in the power of travel as a form of artistic and intellectual awakening. From her early voyages across the Atlantic to her research in small French villages and her visits to galleries in Tokyo, she experienced the world with an open heart and a keen eye. Her encounters abroad were not passive; she engaged with people, places, and culture in ways that were deeply human. Whether knocking on the door of the Butler Castle in Ireland (because “she, too, was a Butler!”) or conversing with strangers in Parisian cafés, she immersed herself in the texture of life wherever she went.

That spirit of engagement underpins every requirement of the Ruth Butler Travel Scholarship. Open to both studio artists and art historians, applicants must propose a meaningful international project—whether artistic or research-based—and demonstrate a clear project plan and established engagement with institutions or individuals abroad in the location where the student has proposed to complete their work. Be it museums or archives or practicing artists, students are expected to have initiated dialogue with their overseas collaborators. And, just as Butler did, they must come prepared with some knowledge of the local language.

This purposeful encounter with another place, shaped by inquiry, connection, and self-direction, moves the experience beyond “study abroad” in the traditional sense. In return, recipients—known as Butler Fellows—gain more than knowledge. They return deeply enriched, having lived abroad as artists and researchers, not tourists. To date, 29 UMass Boston students have taken this journey. Their destinations have spanned the globe—Mexico City, Milan, Paris, Berlin—each project carrying forward Butler’s belief that art must be both practiced and intentionally explored in its cultural context.

Beyond the travel fellowship, her endowment has also supported broader access to the arts. Thanks to her gift, students in the department receive free admission to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. Her fund has also enabled class trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, and more—making experiences that were once out of reach part of everyday education for UMass Boston students.

Professor Emerita Ruth Butler died on November 28, 2024, at the age of 93, leaving a remarkable body of scholarly work and an immeasurable impact that will continue to inspire and support artists and the study of art. In this way, her endowed scholarship is more than a gift. It’s become a compass, showing the way toward what’s possible when curiosity meets opportunity, when rigor meets generosity, and when a scholar like Butler dedicates her life’s work to ensure that others might discover their own unforgettable journeys into the world—and through life—with clarity, courage, and purpose.

Ruth Butler’s generosity has afforded 29 UMass Boston students an incredible global experiential learning opportunity, in addition to underwriting memberships at art and cultural institutions in and around Boston. Through her foresight and generosity, Professor Emerita Butler’s legacy expands access to art, honors artists, and deepens appreciation for art history—ensuring these values endure for generations to come.

Rixy Fernandez ’19 – 2019 Butler Fellow, Mexico

The scholarship was one of the first experiences and opportunities that helped me realize my discipline in an international sense. Getting to explore historic muralism in Mexico City was a jump start to the research and work I’ve done today as a street artist, and I see [the scholarship] as such a foundational pillar to being gifted resources to motivate me forward.

I’m truly not sure how my work would live and expand today if it wasn’t for the opportunity during my time at UMass Boston. I’ve gained experience personally and professionally on community building, cultural exchange, independent and freelance approaches, grant investments, historical background and art history, and site-specific projects. Truly a blast and grateful time of my life!

Tehudis Salcedo ’23 – 2023 Butler Fellow, Spain

This scholarship was a life-changing experience that opened up my heart to experience a different pace of life. It helped me meet my family in Spain, Italy, and Switzerland for the first time, which was the best experience I’ve had in my life.

I worked on paintings that turned into sculptures over time and saw two of my favorite painters’ (Dali and Picasso) hometowns and their museums. I’m really inspired by their work. I would love to get better at showing emotions in my paintings. I’m getting there slowly. I’ve transitioned into sculpture. I’m a working artist, and this gave me the push to keep my dreams alive. I am working on two commissioned paintings right now and am currently part of a residency at Elevated Thought in Lawrence, MA.

Woojin Jung ’23 – 2023 Butler Fellow, Italy

Last fall, I had the life-changing opportunity to travel to Italy to study the resonating effects of golden mosaics in medieval churches and explore the birthplace of painting conservation. Receiving the Ruth Butler Travel Scholarship made this journey possible. It deepened my understanding of the conservation field and allowed me to engage with it in a tangible, immersive way.

Most important, I built meaningful connections with professionals in the field—connections that continue to inspire and guide me. This journey was more than academic. This experience helped me see that art conservation is not only about preserving the physical object, but also about understanding the culture, history, and people behind it. My time in Italy through the Ruth Butler Travel Scholarship didn’t just teach me how to care for art; it showed me why it matters.

Leticia Sidney ’24 – 2024 Butler Fellow, France

I was awarded the Ruth Butler Travel Scholarship at the end of my senior year at UMass Boston—a time that felt overwhelming and uncertain, as I looked ahead without a clear idea of how to find my place in the art world. I spent two transformative months in Paris, the city where printmaking arguably became an established contemporary fine art form. I visited a range of printmaking studios and artists, each offering me unique perspectives.

One of the most meaningful parts of my stay was an internship at Salt and Cedar, the letterpress studio of artist Megan O’Connell. I was lucky to help her print editions of poems, tear hundreds of sheets of paper, and assist in the early stages of a book. More than anything, I learned by watching Megan—a master of her craft and generous with her knowledge. 

To have been given time to slow down, reflect, and learn in a city so rich with history and artistic energy—it was nothing short of life-changing. And I owe that to Ruth Butler. Her belief in the power of travel and art to shape lives has had a profound impact on mine.

Erika Lopez-Torres ’21 – 2021 Butler Fellow, Mexico

Being a Ruth Butler Travel Scholarship recipient impacted my life in many ways: personally, artistically, and socially. I was able to travel for two whole months, during which I met people from all over, many of whom I still know. I interacted with people in spaces that I never thought I would be in, and I was able to hold space for the parts of myself that were not allowed to shine before.

All of the experiences that I had on that trip have informed my creative practice in various invaluable ways. The most valuable thing that I gained from this experience was being able to have a world perspective and a hunger for learning about anyone and everyone, including getting to know myself more deeply and genuinely.