Jay Jay Rivkin

RIVKIN, Jay Jay Rivkin, a well-known Los Angeles-area artist passed away at her home in Studio City, California on September 8, 2006, at the age of ninety. She was born on March 11, 1916 in New York. She began her career in 1938 as a clothing designer. In 1942 she became the first employee at the innovative animation studio United Pictures of America. Beginning in 1945 and continuing into 2006, her paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, tapestries and assemblages have been exhibited in over fifty museums and galleries, in the United States and Europe including the Peace Tower at the Whitney Museum in New York, the Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, the Federal Reserve Board in Washington D.C., the Tobey Moss Gallery in Los Angeles, the Barbicon Gallery in London, the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles, and the Pacific Culture Museum in Pasadena. She designed and illustrated twenty-two books and created murals for public buildings. Her etchings and lithographs are included in numerous private and corporate collections.
For fifty years Jay was also a tireless creative force in her volunteer work for the Exceptional Children's Foundation and New Horizons, both organizations that benefit people with developmental disabilities. In 2006 she was presented with the Fredrick J. Weitkamp Service Award, for her heartfelt dedication. Among her many fundraising accomplishments and projects, she designed greeting cards for twenty-five years, led campaigns that established a summer camp, art center programs, a KCET Special and helped start a parent support group for parents of children with special needs in the 1950's that became a national model. Jay filled her life with creativity, activism, life-long friendships, and a contagious sense of humor. She stayed productive and engaged until her death. She will be deeply missed by her family and her huge circle of friends. She is survived by her daughter Lena Rivkin of Studio City, CA, her son Phillip Rivkin of North Hills, CA and her former husband Robert Rivkin of San Marino, CA. Contributions in her honor may be sent to New Horizons, 15725 Parthenia, North Hills, CA 91343.