Ruth Tye McKenzie

Ruth Tye McKenzie (1929-2023) was a visual artist and art supply store owner based in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

She was born in Edmonton and educated at the Banff School of Fine Arts and the Ontario College of Art, and lived for some time in Dundas before returning to Thunder Bay. She opened the Painted Turtle Art Shop in 1983, She had intended the Painted Turtle to be a sideline, but it filled a need and became an important site in the Thunder Bay arts community, as it was the only place where quality art supplies could be purchased at the time.

McKenzie is known for her paintings, etchings, and mixed media works. Favourite subjects included Northern Ontario landscapes, and nudes: she frequently mixed these subjects in a series she termed "Nudescapes." Her artwork is in the permanent collections of the Banff School of Fine Arts, the City of Thunder Bay, Confederation College, the Government of Ontario Art Collection, and Lakehead University.