Throughout history, from the brushstrokes of the Impressionists to the bold expressions of contemporary creators, women artists have navigated a labyrinth of societal constraints, steadily carving out their rightful place in the art world and claiming the recognition that has long eluded them.

Settling into Pasadena after nearly four decades on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles, Jack Rutberg Fine Arts is now planning for the future with a new exhibition featuring a wide range of established modern and contemporary artists.

The new exhibition, “Collector’s Choice,” which will hold its opening reception on Sunday, September 10, is a collection of paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures from some of the world’s most recognizable artists, along with some lesser known, but no less important works.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack Rutberg. 

Jack, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My evolution as an art dealer took an illogical course. Having no background or formal education in the arts, my interest evolved by frequent visits to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in my late teens. It was a place to spend time alone and engage in impressive works of art, and then there were those works that completely confounded me, for which I had no interest but I kept going back to see. Perhaps I was hoping that they would somehow reveal more with each visit. I can’t really say they did, but familiarity had its benefits. Looking back, that experience was a sort of seed planting and a life lesson. In terms of art and aesthetics, initial impressions can betray us, and I often say that you “get” wallpaper with a snap of the fingers but most great art can reveals itself over time.

In a recent ceremony in celebration of International World Art Day, the International Art Association USA bestowed its first Lifetime Achievement Award to Pasadena’s Jack Rutberg, owner of the Jack Rutberg Fine Arts gallery at South Lake and California avenues. 

The International Art Association USA acts as an arm of the international body L’Association Internationale des Arts Plastiques, a nonprofit partner of UNESCO comprised of professional artists working with painting, sculpture, printmaking and other forms of creative practice in the visual arts. Rutberg described the honor as a humbling surprise.

Immerse yourself in the captivating monochromatic realm of renowned artist Sam Francis at the anticipated art exhibition, “Sam Francis – Distilled,” making its grand debut at Jack Rutberg Fine Arts on Sunday.

The showcase is an exclusive exploration of Francis’ rarely-seen monochromatic graphic works. The monochrome is mesmerizing. Far from blanketing sameness, the works beckon the viewer to discover their nuanced beauty. 

The Rutberg exhibition complements the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s present Sam Francis exhibition which runs through July 16, keying upon Francis’ profound intercultural dialogue between Western and Eastern aesthetics.

The boundaries of the Los Angeles art gallery scene are expanding as one of L.A.’s longest-established galleries plans to opens its inaugural exhibition in Pasadena with a Sunday reception on March 12 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Jack Rutberg Fine Arts, formerly located on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles for more than 37 years, will present an exhibition appropriately titled “Expanding the Boundaries” at its new Pasadena location at 600 South Lake Avenue.

For gallery owner Jack Rutberg, the sale of art is a historic and noble pursuit. He believes art can evoke everlasting emotion, a philosophy that he carries with him to the newest location of the Jack Rutberg Fine Art Gallery at the corner of Pasadena’s South Lake Avenue and California Avenue.

“Anyone that hasn’t been brought down to their knees by particular works of art, just hasn’t been out there to really engage it,” Rutberg said. “It’s a rare experience, by the way. I’m not suggesting that it’s a common experience where your breath is taken away, but if you ever have the experience, then you have a bar with which to judge.

Ruth Weisberg: Then & Now
Opening Reception: September 30, 5:30-8:00pm
Artist Talk: October 1, 2:00pm

A Homecoming for the Iconic Artist, Ruth Weisberg!

Ruth Weisberg has broken through glass ceilings that held back many women artists of her generation. In fact, Ruth Weisberg and Judy Chicago were the first two artists exhibited at The Women’s Building, in Los Angeles. Their solo exhibitions inaugurated that venue. Weisberg has had more than 80 solo exhibitions and nearly 200 group exhibitions internationally, including a major exhibition at the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, a retrospective at the Skirball Museum, Los Angeles, and a solo exhibition at the Huntington in San Marino.