SEYMOUR
Mary Ruden has an appreciation for a wide variety of art forms, but her focus is on maintaining the classic art styles that have been passed down for generations.
She is currently creating a bronze bust of Ann Davis, known as the Mother of the National Park for her involvement in the early days of the Great Smoky Mountains, and has her hands in various public art projects and historic monument restoration efforts.
âI was classically trained and I really want to see more classical art in the world because everything is contemporary and nowadays a lot of things are just digital,â Ruden said. âI really prefer the classical arts, building with the clay, doing likenesses and portraits of people. Thatâs kind of what my focus is, the famous and historic people of Tennessee.â