HONOLULU, HAWAII.- “The Ramsay Pen and Ink Masterworks” is currently on view at the Art of The State Ramsay Gallaries. The following biography is adapted from the Honolulu City Council’s declaration of Ramsay as one of Hawaii’s Living Treasures: Bachrach photo Born in Lawrence, Kansas, and raised in Greentree, Pennsylvania, Ramsay demonstrated outstanding talent in the arts at an early age. In 1958, the Penn Township School District enrolled her in the Summer Art Program for Exceptionally Talented Children. She has won two Gold Key Awards from the National Scholastic Art Competition, and art scholarships from Carnegie Museum School and Carnegie Mellon University.
Since the days of selling her prints by the Lahaina seawall, Ramsay has become an internationally acclaimed artist in the pen and ink medium. She became Hawaii’s first member of the National Society of Illustrators, a group that includes luminaries such as Salvador Dali and Norman Rockwell.
In all, Ramsay has exhibited a renaissance quality by being both an artist and a patron of the arts, preservationist, entrepreneur, community activist and an inspiration to young artists. Her works have been displayed from New York to Japan.
Ramsay has helped preserve Hawaii’s cultural landscape by her renderings of Lahaina and old Koloa Village for it’s 150th anniversary. Her drawings, "Memories Under the Monkeypod" and "Diamond Head (A Portrait of Princess Ruth Ke’elikolani)" depict a special regard in preserving Hawaii’s island heritage.
Using a traditional crowquill pen, India ink and without drafting aids, her works display an intricate array of microscopic dots and fine lines that is notably captured in pieces such as her "Hinode rice bags in Hasegawa General Store." She has also been commisioned to make renderings of numerous historical buildings such as the White House (for its bicentennial), the Plaza Hotel in New York and Preservation Hall in New Orleans.
In 1988, the mayor of Honolulu proclaimed "Ramsay at the Rotunda Week," commemorating her one-person exhibit of Hawaii landmarks at the U.S. Senate Rotunda. The governor of Hawaii likewise honored her by acknowledging her commitment to make Hawaii’s heritage known to an appreciative nation.
Princess Ruth by Ramsay
In 1991, to observe the 50th anniversary of World War II, she was appointed to draw the Natatorium War Memorial, and then donated the proceeds from this project to honor Sen. Spark M. Matsunaga and his Peace Foundation.
Ramsay’s commitment to historic preservation has also been of exemplary distinction. In 1981, she opened an art gallery in the historic Tan Sing Building in Honolulu’s Chinatown district. She displayed leadership in her efforts to save the Hawaii Theatre from demolition by purchasing an option that gave community organizers precious time to raise funds and buy the theater outright.
In January, 1996, Ramsay Galleries celebrated its 15th year in business and its 150th art exhibit. The Galleries have been and continue to be a tour de force in promoting Hawaii’s local artists. Her work in the arts and as a world citizen is testament to her efforts to better the human environment.
In Honolulu, Ramsay serves on the board of the Hawaii Heritage Center and on the Mayor’s Downtown Task Force. She is a Paul Harris, John Warren and Maurice Sullivan Fellow of the Honolulu Rotary Club, Life Member of the National Society of Arts and Letters, and Honorary Life Member of the Association of Hawaii Artists, of which she is past president.
Biographical reference are found in Contemporary Graphic Astists, The California Art Review, American Artists, International Directory of Arts, and the World Who’s Who of Women.
Ramsay is proud of her Scots heritage, and also distinguished herself as a traditional Scottish dancer as a child. In 1989, she was the first woman named "Scot of the Year" by the Caledonian Society of Hawaii. Here’s a link to some Clan Ramsay information.
