When iconic actress, director, and Mabou Mines co-founder Ruth Maleczech passed away last month, she left an expansive legacy of fierce artistic expression. Some fellow artists have spent a lifetime in her company, some have only witnessed her work from the outside, but for each of the contributors to this tribute, she was a touchstone—a living beacon leading onward by way of her fearless creative spirit, sharp insight (and tongue), and her many gifts of time, talent, and mentorship to fellow artists.