The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) announced a $1.5 million grant from Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, in support of Ruth Asawa: Retrospective, the first major national and international museum retrospective of the groundbreaking work of Ruth Asawa (1926–2013).
Premiering at SFMOMA from April 5 through September 2, 2025, this first posthumous retrospective will feature the entire spectrum of the artist’s awe-inspiring practice. The grant is the largest corporate grant for a single exhibition in SFMOMA’s history. It will provide critical funding to support community-building and audience initiatives around the exhibition, as well as bolster the revitalization of downtown, reestablishing it as a thriving cultural destination and beacon within San Francisco’s rich arts ecology, which Asawa deeply valued.
Including sculptures, drawings, prints, paintings and archival material from U.S.-based public and private collections, the exhibition will offer an in-depth look at Asawa’s expansive output and its inspirations. It will also explore the ways her longtime San Francisco home and garden served as the epicenter of her creative universe and will highlight the ethos of collaboration and inclusivity that informed her numerous public sculpture commissions and unwavering dedication to arts advocacy.
“We are grateful to Google.org for their generous support of Ruth Asawa: Retrospective,” said Christopher Bedford, Helen and Charles Schwab Director of SFMOMA. “This extraordinary funding will enable SFMOMA to enhance its public programs, community partnerships and free access initiatives in celebration of a legendary artist who continues to have an indelible positive impact on San Francisco.”
“Google.org is proud to support SFMOMA’s Ruth Asawa retrospective and the incredible community engagement initiatives it will make possible. This exhibition provides a unique opportunity to explore Asawa’s legacy as an artist and advocate, while also inspiring the next generation of local creative thinkers and community leaders,” said Adrian Schurr, Senior Giving Manager, Google.org.
Main Image: Ruth Asawa teaching a Baker’s Clay workshop at the San Francisco Museum of Art (now SFMOMA), 1973; photo courtesy Ruth Asawa Lanier, Inc
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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