Ruby Bute Explained

Ruby Bute (born 1943) is a painter, storyteller, and writer of the island of Saint Martin. She became the first woman to publish a book in Saint Martin with her poetry collection Golden Voices of S'maatin in 1989. Bute has been referred to as "the first dame of St. Martin’s cultural arts."[1] [2]

Early life and move to Saint Martin

Ruby Bute was born in 1943 in Aruba to parents from Sint Maarten.[3] [4] They had migrated to Aruba so her father could work as a fireman. As a young woman in Aruba, Bute married, had two children, and then divorced. Eventually her family, who had already moved back to Saint Martin, convinced her to join them there.[5] After arriving on the island in 1976, she settled in Marigot, on the French half of Saint Martin.

Career

Painting

Bute began painting at a young age. She is mostly self-taught,[6] so her work is sometimes referred to as folk art.[7] After moving to Saint Martin, she began selling her paintings in shops on the island. She had her first solo show in 1983; it was thought to be the first one-woman exhibition in Saint Martin.[8] Her paintings document life and culture on the island in vibrant color.[9] Bute taught painting to children at the John Larmonie Center in Philipsburg. She has also taught art to prisoners and to tourists while they were vacationing on the island.[10] She worked at the Department of Culture beginning in 1986, and was the first woman to organize after-school activities for children in the country's elementary schools. Ruby Bute works out of a studio at her home in Friar's Bay, Saint Martin.[11]

Writing

Bute's short stories and poetry focus on women's issues, particularly the lives of Afro-Caribbean women.[12] Her first poetry collection, Golden Voices of S'maatin, was published by House of Nehesi Publishers in 1989. A second collection, Floral Bouquet to the Daughters of Eve, followed in 1995.[13] [14] Golden Voices of S'maatin is considered the first book published by a woman on Saint Martin.[15] [16] It was a bestseller on the island, selling out its first printing in three months.[17] Her most recent collection, Reflections, was published in 2021.[18] [19]

Recognition

Bute received a lifetime achievement award from the Collectivity of Saint Martin in 2004. She was honored by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 2005. In 2019, her painting "185-Mile Winds," which depicts the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, was displayed in various official buildings in The Hague, including both houses of the Dutch legislature.[20] [21]

Publications

Publications by Ruby Bute include:

External links

References

  1. Book: St. Martin Massive! A Snapshot of Popular Artists. House of Nehesi Publishers. 2000. St. Martin.
  2. Web site: 2014-02-10. Prime Minister Supports Art in the Park Event at Emilio Wilson Estate. 2020-10-12. St. Martin News Network.
  3. Web site: Ruby Bute. 2020-10-12. Writers Unlimited. en.
  4. Web site: Art Prints - Ruby Bute. 2020-10-12. My Island Art. en-US.
  5. Web site: Painter, Poet, Story Teller: Ruby Bute. 2020-10-12. St. Maarten/St-Martin.
  6. Web site: 2020-01-22. Interview with Ruby Bute. 2020-10-12. St Maarten Events. en-US.
  7. News: December 2007. Art Walk. Islands Magazine.
  8. Web site: Ruby Bute. 2020-10-12. Best St. Martin.
  9. Web site: 2015-01-07. Cati Burnot and Ruby Bute. 2020-10-12. The Daily Herald.
  10. Web site: 2012-01-18. St. Martin. 2020-10-12. The Telegram.
  11. Web site: Seward. Elizabeth. 2012-04-20. Ruby Bute: A Caribbean Legend. 2020-10-12. Gadling.
  12. Web site: Book Reviews. 2020-10-12. House of Nehesi Publishers. en-US.
  13. News: 2014-03-06. Do you know how many St. Martin women have written books?. Saint Martin News Network.
  14. Williams. Frank A.. Romondt. Alice C. van. 1998-07-01. Bibliography of Caribbean Literature in English From Suriname, The Netherlands Antilles, Aruba, and The Netherlands. Callaloo. en. 21. 3. 703–713. 10.1353/cal.1998.0180. 1080-6512.
  15. Web site: 2014-02-25. St. Martin women tell their own hair stories for International Women’s Day. 2020-10-12. St. Martin News Network.
  16. Book: Badejo, Fabian. Salted tongues : modern literature in St. Martin. 0-913441-62-7. St. Martin, Caribbean. 54446730.
  17. Web site: 2011-08-01. Yvette’s cookbook is a 2011 bestseller. 2020-10-12. St. Martin News Network.
  18. Web site: Maunder . Hilke . 2022-02-15 . Ruby Bute: die große Dame der karibischen Kultur . 2022-07-19 . Mein Frankreich . de-DE.
  19. Web site: 2022-02-24 . New Exhibits Feature French Translations of Local Poetry . 2022-07-19 . St. Martin News Network.
  20. Web site: 2019-06-27. Carla Vlaun joins Minister Wuite to unveil Ruby Bute’s Artwork at Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament in the Netherlands.. 2020-10-12. St. Martin News Network.
  21. Web site: 2019-02-05. Council of State Receives '185 Miles of Wind' by Sint Maarten Artist Ruby Bute. 2020-10-12. BES Reporter. en-US.

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