Trained as an industrial designer with an MSID from Pratt Institute, she is convinced that no space is benign. Quite the contrary, she firmly believes that we are all deeply affected by the absence of warm rich color, and that poor design adds unnecessary stress to daily living. Her firm belief is that a simple coat of color, thoughtfully chosen and placed, can have a profound and long-lasting effect on the users of the painted space.

Having spent 17 years as an active founding board member of the Big Apple Circus, where she is a now a Trustee Emeritus, Ruth understood the important role not-for-profit organizations play in our society. Using her training in industrial design she founded Publicolor to use her talent to engage disaffected students in their education. From the outset, the centerpiece of Publicolor's work has always been a struggling, neglected public school. Our work has since branched out to include nearby neglected neighborhood facilities such as Headstart sites, local health clinics, shelters for abused women and children, and police precinct houses.

Under Ruth's aegis, Publicolor's work always involves public/private partnerships. In the schools the New York City Board of Education is our public partner through our renewed multi-year contract, and corporations represent the private sector support through their financial sponsorship and volunteer involvement.