Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton (March 25, 1889 – July 26, 1971) was an American artist, author, educator, ethnographer, and curator.

She was the second daughter of Joseph and Elise (née Houston) Ferrell, though her elder sister died of diphtheria when Mary-Russell was two.

[5] Mary-Russell was taught by a governess until she was eight years old, when she entered the private girl''s school Pelham Academy.

In addition to the commercial art her studio produced, Mary-Russell Ferrell showed as a member of the Philadelphia Ten's annual exhibit in Florida, the Midwest, the Eastern States of the US and Europe.

In an effort to improve the relationship, Elise used a family connection to gain Mary-Russell membership of Dr.Charles Shaw's 1909 expedition to the Selkirk Mountains.

This journey inspired Mary-Russell's love of the American West, and gave her the nickname "Fairy," which stuck with her for decades.

While preparing for the journey, she met Harold Sellers Colton, a zoology professor at the University of Pennsylvania who would join the trip.

After returning to Philadelphia, Colton and Ferrell corresponded and eventually courted, marrying on May 23, 1912, in Germantown, Pennsylvania.

[3] As both Coltons were independently wealthy (though Mary-Russell inherited her wealth later in life), they were able to comfortably work without substantial pay, travel, and "pursue their interests at will".

When NASSA was incorporated in 1933, Colton donated twenty-nine acres of land in memory of her son, Sabin, to house the collection.

In 1931, Colton established a Junior Art Show to exhibit works by 4th through 8th grade students from public and reservation schools in northern Arizona.

[10] Colton believed in the (incorrect) Vanishing Race Theory, and so "conducted her work with a sense of urgency.

[3] Colton believed that the Native American arts could be saved through education and should be taught at schools.

[3] Her realization that higher quality products would generate more money than cheap ones led to her endeavors to shape the Hopi arts.

In March, Coltons travelled to the Hopi pueblos to spark interest in the exhibition, returning in June to collect art to showcase.

[9] In 1938, Colton began a project aiming to revive Hopi silversmithing and give it a unique identity.

The Coltons presented designs developed by Virgil Hubert to the Indian Arts and Crafts Board for approval and the Hopi for inspiration.

[3] The Christian Science Monitor of September 2, 1920, printed a copy of Colton's painting, Sunset on a Lava Field.

The author wrote; "In her Arizona canvases, Mrs. Colton gives full sway to her love of color.

One is impressed by the sense of vast remoteness that she manages to capture for these western paintings that are bringing her increasing recognition.

[10] Throughout her career as an artist, Colton painted a variety of subjects including landscapes, figures, still life and genre scenes.

[6] She often painted people she knew, and her work was shown at the Museum of Northern Arizona and at the Hopi Craftsman Show.

She chaired the Red Cross's Nurse's Aide program and dedicated her time to her victory garden.

She suffered from paranoia and was reluctant to leave her home, eventually being diagnosed with Atherosclerosis of the brain (possibly actually Alzheimer's disease).

[3][4] Despite her wishes for her ashes, mixed with her husband's be spread across the Painted Desert, they were buried on the Colton family plot outside Philadelphia.