In the 1970s, professional artists began working in San Francisco public schools through the Neighborhood Arts Program. However, many schools were often underfunded, forcing teaching artists to get creative when sourcing materials. In 1976, a donation from a paper company inspired Asawa and arts community leader Anne Thielen to address this demand.

Rooted in Asawa’s lifelong advocacy for hands-on art and arts education, SCRAP (Scroungers’ Center for Reusable Art Parts) was founded to supply schools with discarded materials and to foster the practice of salvaging and repurposing. Today, SCRAP continues to embody Asawa’s pedagogic vision and her belief in community engagement and equity, through art, education, and sustainability.

Sharon Litzkey and schoolchildren working on a mosaic at Alvarado Elementary School, San Francisco, California, 1970.
Photo by Michael Dixon
Courtesy Ruth Asawa Lanier, Inc.