Cathie Ruggie Saunders

Cathie Ruggie Saunders serves as Professor and Art Gallery Director in the Department of Art & Design at Saint Xavier University's College of Arts and Sciences, overseeing both the SXU Gallery and Visual Arts Center (VAC) student gallery while teaching printmaking, drawing, artists' books, and children's book illustration courses.

Educational background:

• MFA in Art, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1976)

Her research centers on hand-printed, bound artists' books through The Hosanna Press imprint, specializing in letterpress techniques and interdisciplinary connections between book arts, illustration, and contemporary visual expression. This work preserves traditional craftsmanship while innovating within limited-edition artistic publishing.

Her seminal 2019 handbook established national standards for letterpress education, demonstrating consistent focus on pedagogical development and technical mastery across book arts disciplines.

Scientific awards: None documented in source materials.

Professor Saunders mentors students through the Art and Design Senior Seminar thesis course and gallery operations, though no formal advisees or research grants are specified. Her gallery leadership provides critical exhibition platforms for emerging artists.

She directs the SXU Gallery and VAC, curating programs that integrate student work with professional artistic practices to strengthen campus-wide engagement with visual arts.