U.S. #5512
2020 55¢ Ruth Asawa
Issue Date: August 13, 2020
First Day City: San Francisco, CA
Type of Stamp: Commemorative
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Pane of 20
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 18,000,000
Ruth Asawa believed that art made people better. It led to more creative thinking and would improve any business they were a part of. this belief led Asawa to become a leading force in arts education in San Francisco.
From the 1960s onward, Asawa was involved in a number of initiatives to improve art education in public schools. But she also dreamed of opening a high school dedicated to the arts. She first submitted a proposal for such a school in the 1970s. In 1982, her dream was realized when teh San Francisco School of the Arts admitted its first class of students. Four years later, the first class of seniors graduated.
Asawa remained active in the school for years, leading fundraising efforts and planning. Originally offering classes in art, dance, and music, the school expanded its focus to include creative writing, film, videography, architecture, and design. In honor of her contributions, the school was renamed in Asawa's honor in 2010. The following year, it was recognized as a "California Distinguished School," as one of the state's most "exemplary and inspiring public schools."
While she was celebrated as an artist, Ruth Asawa believed arts education was her real mission. When asked what her life's most important work was, she always replied, "the schools."