Architectural Foundation Gallery Exhibition & Reception March 23, 2024

The Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara is pleased to announce RUTH LEAF, Printmaker (1923-2015): Selected Works, an exhibition of etchings and woodcuts inspired by nature. Ruth Leaf’s granddaughters, Mia Casino and Becky Waitz, are honored to present prints from their personal collection for this exhibition.

An opening reception will be held at the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara on Saturday, March 23 from 2-4 p.m. All are welcome

Ruth Leaf was born in New York City and dedicated her life to printmaking, creating groundbreaking and diverse art from her teen years until her death at the age of 92. Her early works were etchings, linocuts, and woodcuts depicting landscapes and people. Artist/Teacher Paul Margin commented that she was “able to create an atmosphere of anticipation, impending action, and the feeling of possible horror” in her work. Leaf earned many awards, including the Purchase Award of the Library of Congress for her etching, “Tears.”

In the 1970s, when Leaf became fascinated by the “shapes, shadows, and colors found in nature,” she produced landscape etchings that express and celebrate the “accidental beauty” and “mystical quality” of nature. After Leaf moved to Venice, CA in 1998, she experimented with monoprints, papermaking, metal sculpture, and digital art.

“My early work was concerned with people and their environments done in an expressionistic manner. Through the many years of printmaking, I became involved with space, color, and shape. I found, by using the forms in landscape, I was able to abstract what I saw into more exciting dimensions of color and design than realism would permit. It also allowed me to combine what I saw with how I felt.” (Ruth Leaf, 1987).

In addition to success as an artist with many U.S. and international solo shows and art in numerous permanent collections, Leaf was a notable teacher and author. In the 1960s, she opened a printmaking studio in New York City, where she taught printmaking techniques to professional artists. She believed that teaching extended her creativity and allowed her to stretch her knowledge and to problem solve. Her book, “Intaglio Printmaking Techniques” (Watson-Guptill, 1976 and Dover softcover, 1984), became an essential manual for printmakers across the U.S. and is used widely today.

The Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara (AFSB) seeks to promote quality in architecture, art, and design and to foster an understanding of excellence in the urban environment. The AFSB offers a diverse array of programs serving Santa Barbara County that provide educational opportunities for the community and involve the participation of local architects and building professionals. Learn more at afsb.org.