Dolls Etcetera: The Ruth E. Funk Private Collection

Ruth E. Funk is an energetic octogenarian, an effervescent artist-designer, and a passionate doll collector. She was born in Dallas, Texas, and now resides in Melbourne, Florida. She earned her bachelors and masters degrees from Texas Womans University. She majored in fine arts and spent an extra year of study at Milwaukee-Downer College in Wisconsin to become a registered occupational therapist. This profession gave her excellent exposure to many arts and handicrafts, which she taught at a U.S. military base in Germany. Ruth spent a significant part of her adult life in New York City, and she enjoyed extensive travel throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. Ruth was the director of education at Albany Institute of History & Art for three years and was also part owner of a thriving contemporary art gallery. She taught in the fine arts department at Russell Sage College in upstate New York and served as director of the interior design program after retirement. She is a past member of the America Society of Interior Designers and is presently a member of the Embroidery Guild of America. The artist-designers first book, Cloth and Culture: Couture Creations of Ruth E. Funk, features her complete collection of garments and jewelry. As an author, teacher, guest lecturer, philanthropist, and visionary, Ruth has been instrumental in spreading the word about world textiles through her generous gift to the Florida Institute of Technology. The universitys new gallery and exhibition space, the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts, was built to educate students, design enthusiasts, and the public about the value of textiles and their contribution to society as a whole. Dominic Agostini is a freelance photographer who earned his bachelor's degree from Columbia College Chicago and specializes in portrait and still life photography. He was born and raised on the island of Trinidad and now resides in Satellite Beach, Florida.