Socially Conscious Artistic Initatives
• 1986 – “Lighthouse, A Beacon of Hope in a time of Despair”, a two-panel anti-apartheid painting toured the Greater Toronto Area with Archbishop Desmond Tutu including Harbourfront, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, St. Paul’s Church, Toronto and St. Matthews Church, Markham, Ontario,
• 1990 – “Aftershock” a painting depicting the global village response to the Chernobyl disaster was presented in association with the Children of Chernobyl Fund at Convocation Hall, Toronto, to the people of Chernobyl. It later became the cover of a Ukrainian book detailing the disaster.
• 1994 – “The Meeting Place”, a 28 panel mural was chosen as the centerpiece of the First International Toronto Pow Wow, held at Toronto’s Skydome. This 16ft x 21ft “spirit shield” hung from the Skydome’s retractable roof above thousands of First Nations dancers, drummers, singers and other attendees.
• 1995 – “Alpha-Omega, A 21st Century Vision Quest” was the centrepiece painting for 1995 Earthday celebrations at Toronto City Hall including being displayed under ultra-violet lights at centre stage during evening performances covered by national media.
• 1997 – Ritchie’s “Heartfelt Remembrance Crests” were worn by more than 50,000 people attending memorial services for Princess Diana & Mother Teresa in 1997. Assisted by the Canadian government on Sept 1-3 1999 the crests were worn by those attending Swissair Flight 111 memorials in Nova Scotia and those attending the “Canada Loves New York” initiative of December 2001.
• 1999 >> Updated 2006 – Wrote and published the popular e-book about the Woodland School art movement entitled, “Woodland Gold. A 21st Century Guide to the Woodland Art Movement”.
• 2008 – Launched a comprehensive website at “Morrisseau.com” that blew the whistle on a country-wide forgery syndicate producing thousands of fake Norval Morrisseau paintings. Ritchie defended his assertions in multiple civil court cases filed to silence him.