This coming May, San Francisco will open a new permanent venue dedicated to the late modernist sculptor Ruth Asawa, coinciding with the centenary of her birth. The new exhibition space, part of the artist’s family-run estate, Ruth Asawa Lanier, Inc. (RAL), is set to launch on May 9 within the Minnesota Street Project located in the Dogpatch area. The inaugural exhibition, curated by Asawa’s daughters Addie Lanier and Aiko Cuneo, highlights Asawa’s untitled works, featuring her iconic looped wire sculptures, cast pieces, paperfolds, watercolors, and drawings.
The 1,171-square-foot space on the ground floor incorporates a redwood wall to emulate the display style of Asawa’s own home. Henry Weverka, Asawa’s grandson and president of the estate, shared that the furnishings will reflect Asawa’s home, including a replica coffee table with sketchbooks for visitors. The estate plans to continually exhibit lesser-known works by Asawa, alongside pieces by her contemporaries such as Josef and Anni Albers, Imogen Cunningham, and Ray Johnson.
Asawa’s legacy includes significant contributions to arts education, having co-founded the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts in 1982. The new space will also showcase exhibitions by students and faculty from this school, continuing Asawa’s advocacy for arts education. Aimee Le Duc, executive director of the Minnesota Street Project, emphasized the alignment of Asawa’s enduring commitment to San Francisco with the organization’s mission. Asawa’s influence remains global, with recent retrospectives and even a Mercury crater named after her in 2024.
