Blubber_ Documenting the Legacies

Documenting the Legacies of
South Coast Artists -Through Essay Writing

Ron Fortier was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and spent his early childhood in New York City on the Upper East Side. Later, his mother, an aspiring singer, and Ron moved to the West Side. During the first seven years of his life, he was exposed to an abundance and diversity of art, music, and the cultures of people of various races, ethnicities, and countries of origin.

Ron was cared for by immigrants who fled Europe during and after World War Two. Living on Columbus Avenue on the West Side, Ron and his mother learned Spanish, their third language after Portuguese. Their friends and acquaintances were mostly Afro-Caribbean, African- American, and South American.

Ron Fortier holds a B.F.A. from Southeastern Massachusetts University in Painting and an M.F.A. from the University of Miami in Painting. In 2016, he expatriated to live and paint in Figueira da Foz, Portugal where, until the pandemic, he continued to maintain a second studio there.

His background includes owning and operating two advertising agencies, teaching Art and Art History at Bristol Community College, and teaching marketing at the Charlton College of Business at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Ron is also the co-founder, along with Jeffery Wotton, of a collaborative community digital archive of South Coast Massachusetts artists. The Index documents emerging and established contemporary artists and constantly seeks stories and information about the historical artists who lived or worked on the South Coast.

Ron Fortier portrays individuals who have emerged from hidden historic episodes and forgotten family stories. The subjects in his paintings are trapped by circumstances beyond their control or their inability to extract themselves from an entrapment they created.

His socially conscious expressionist paintings are a psychoanalysis of his subjects, their dilemmas, and a narration of their emotional reality. He invites viewers to discover something that stimulates deeply hidden emotions or forgotten memories by engaging with his work.

This workshop offers participants an opportunity to focus on the lives of family members or

acquaintances who contributed to the creative community of the South Coast. The workshop is led by Ron Fortier, the co-founder of The Artists Index, a nonprofit organization focused on documenting the lives and legacies of visual, performing, literary, and culinary artists.

The first step in the writing process is conducting research. Participants will be introduced to the New Bedford Free Public Library’s Genealogy Room and Reference Rooms. The library’s microfiche newspaper collection and online resources will also be utilized.

Gathering images of the essay subject’s artwork, photos, letters, or news clippings is integral to creating the essay’s timeline. Writing exercises include noting everything the participants know about the individual whose legacy they are documenting. Personal anecdotes will also be encouraged to prompt buried memories or disjointed facts. The workshop will prepare participants to create a well-written, 750-word factual essay that can be submitted to The Artists Index for consideration as a contributed article.

Workshop: 2.5 hours • 15 minute break

Cost: $25

Class Size: 12 People

Instructor: Ron Fortier

What to bring: Whatever method you prefer: pen, pencil, paper, and/or computer

When: July 19 • 10:00 to 12:30 • Saturday

Where: New Bedford Free Public Library • 613 Pleasant Street • New Bedford, MA 02740