Ruth Asawa

"Art will make people better, more highly skilled in thinking and improving whatever business one goes into. It makes a person broader."--Ruth Asawa Ruth Asawa believed in making the world a better place. She understood that exposing children to art was one path toward that goal. From the Japanese-American internment camps to the creation of the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, Asawa's life journey is one filled with family, art, injustice, inner strength, education, and arts activism. She drew upon her transformative life experiences and worked with unconventional mediums--using lines, space, and wire to create sculptures that move people to this day. Asawa became known as the "Fountain Lady" for the many public fountains she designed. One she created was the San Francisco Fountain outside the Grand Hyatt. Asawa worked with children from different parts of the city to create whimsical bas-relief panels that she incorporated into the design. Public support has kept this magnificent piece in place--a monument to a courageous and inspirational artist who changed the world. Touched by the celebration of Asawa's life, author Joan Schoettler viewed exhibitions, studied Asawa's creations, and consulted with Aiko Asawa, Ruth's daughter, in a quest to portray the life of this remarkable woman. In a perfect complement, the thorough research by illustrator Traci Van Wagoner is vividly apparent in the quietly compelling depictions of Asawa and her life.