Great Living Cincinnatians: Honorees

John Ruthven remembers growing up in Walnut Hills and making his way to the banks of the Ohio River, dreaming about the birds John J. Audubon painted more than a century before.

Even as a boy, Ruthven’s dream was to become influential in preserving wildlife through art. “I continually took my sketch pad with me wherever I went,” Ruthven recalled. He went on to paint a brilliant career that has earned recognition from the highest.

Ruthven came home following naval duty during World War II, entered the Cincinnati Art Academy and opened a commercial art studio, but never lost sight of a career in wildlife art. His big break came in 1960, when he won the prestigious Federal Duck Stamp competition.

By 1971 Ruthven founded Wildlife Internationale Inc. to produce his limited edition lithographs. For decades he has created artworks to benefit local organizations such as WCET, the Fine Arts Fund, the Cincinnati Zoo and the Cincinnati Museum Center.

In 1994 Ruthven was honored by the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History with a major retrospective exhibit displaying 100 of his most important works, including “Eagle to the Moon,” commissioned by former Gov. James Rhodes to commemorate the achievements of astronaut Neil Armstrong.

Ruthven was 73 at the time of his award.