The newly formed Ruskin Society of North America (RSNA) will present its first Lifetime Achievement Award for Ruskin Studies to the beloved Ruskin scholar Dr. James S Dearden on the occasion of his ninetieth birthday. For more than a half century, Dearden has preserved and curated one of the most important collections of Ruskin letters, diaries, and drawings in the world -- first at the Bembridge School (Isle of Wight), and now housed at The Ruskin Centre at Lancaster University in the UK. In addition, he has long been one of the most significant and influential scholars in the field of Ruskin studies.
The Award Event will feature a filmed interview with Dr. Dearden (conducted by Howard Hull, director of Brantwood) along with a series of tributes from colleagues, such as Clive Wilmer, Rachel Dickinson, Stuart Eagles and Paul Dawson. Ruskin scholars Dinah Birch (University of Liverpool) and Robert Hewison (former Slade Professor of Fine Arts, Oxford) will also deliver remarks.