New

A Life Made by Hand: The Story of Ruth Asawa

Ruth Asawa (1926-2013) was an influential and award-winning Japanese American sculptor and devoted activist who advocated tirelessly for arts education. A Life Made by Hand tells the story of this pioneering artist whose work is collected in major museums around the world.

Inspired by the world around her, Asawa saw beauty in the ordinary: the webs of spiders, wings of insects, and drops of water found in the garden on the farm where she spent her childhood. She studied at the historic Black Mountain College, an unusual school filled with brilliant thinkers like herself. “An artist,” she said, “is an ordinary person who can take ordinary things and make them special.”

Andrea D’Aquino’s lush collages and engaging text celebrate Asawa’s remarkable career, and collectively tell a story that will appeal to young readers and art lovers, and inspire them to, just as Ruth Asawa did, look closely at the world and create art with whatever is at hand. Delightful and substantial, this engaging title for young art lovers includes a page of teaching tools for parents and educators.

Hardcover, 40 pages.

◄Shipping & Pickup

We are a small team helping both in-store visitors and online customers. Please allow 3 to 5 business days for online order processing in addition to the selected shipping speed time frame. If you enter an email address at checkout you will receive shipping and tracking information. Contact us if you have questions about receiving your order by a certain date and we will try our best to accommodate your needs.

Pick-up is available Thursday through Monday, from 10 am to 4 pm. Once you have received an email confirming that your order has been fulfilled visit the Barnes Shop, located in the lower level of the Barnes Foundation, and have your order number and identification ready to present to our shop team. We cannot accommodate pick-up requests on days that we are closed to the public.

◄Returns & Exchanges 

We want you to love your Barnes Shop purchase. If you are unsatisfied with your order, you may reach out to request a return or exchange within 30 days of receipt. Items must be in new, unworn/unused condition with the original tags attached. Please note that sale items are not eligible for return or exchange. 

 

Request a return or exchange shop@barnesfoundation.org

 

Find our complete returns and exchanges policy here.

◄Member Benefits 

Members save 10% on all full-price items, and have exclusive access to additional discounts in December, and during Member Appreciation in May. Join here today. To receive your member discount, simply enter the coupon code provided by our Membership team at checkout. Email us if you need assistance.

Search The Barnes Shop