The U.S. Post Office on April 3 announced that a series of stamps will recognize the late Ruth Asawa:
“With these stamps, the U.S. Postal Service honors pioneering Japanese American artist Ruth Asawa (1926-2013). Showcasing Asawa’s wire sculptures, the pane includes 20 stamps, with two each of 10 designs, featuring photographs by Dan Bradica and Laurence Cuneo. The selvage features a photograph of Asawa taken by Nat Farbman in 1954 for Life magazine. Ethel Kessler served as art director and designer.”
Asawa’s fan page on Facebook posted, “We are pleased to announce the Ruth Asawa Forever stamp, to be issued later this year, at 30,000 post office locations nationwide. A special thanks to the United States Postal Service for this tremendous honor and all those who worked to make it a reality. Stay tuned for the first day of issue!”
Information on ordering first-day-of-issue postmarks and covers is at usps.com/shopstamps, or call 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724).
Much of Asawa’s sculpture explores the relationship between exterior and interior forms. Her work is in the collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Fifteen of her wire sculptures are on permanent display in the tower of San Francisco’s de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, and several of her fountains are located in public places in San Francisco, including Ghirardelli Square, The Hyatt on Union Square, and Buchanan Mall in Japantown.
Asawa was an arts education advocate and the driving force behind the creation of the San Francisco School of the Arts, which was renamed the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts in 2010.