For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, we highlight Ruth Asawa, an acclaimed Japanese American modernist sculptor and passionate arts education advocate.
In 1942, Ruth and her family were forced into internment during World War II. Following graduation from the internment camp high school, Ruth went to college through a scholarship from the Japanese American Student Relocation Council, a project of the AFSC.
In 1947, Ruth volunteered to teach art to children and adults for an AFSC-led work camp in Toluca, Mexico. Here, she learned a wire crocheting technique used by villagers to create wire baskets. This experience would be influential to Ruth's development as an artist. Following the work camp, Ruth began to create intricate wire sculptures that would bring her to prominence in the 1950s.
Throughout her life, she continued to create art that would be featured in museums and galleries around the world. But she also became a dedicated advocate of arts education and a pivotal figure in the creation of the San Francisco School of the Arts, later renamed to Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts.
Ruth Asawa passed away at the age of 87 in 2013. She was later honored by the U.S. postal service with a set of commemorative stamps in 2020.