Donald Rubbo's Art Bonafides
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Donald Rubbo’s father, Don Rubbo, the ‘Godfather of Pop Art,’ was a renowned multidisciplinary ‘Renaissance’ artist, and he had an enormous library of art books on artists and art techniques. From a young age, Donald read these books voraciously and taught himself photography, block printing, watercolor and acrylic painting, screen printing, etching, engraving and glass art.
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Don Rubbo, Sr., photo by Donald
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Donald Rubbo
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In 1968, at the age of 11, Donald built a darkroom in the Rubbo family artist loft at 365 Canal Street, New York City, and immersed himself in professional photography. He would roam the streets of New York City, taking rolls and rolls of black and white film, Tri-X, and spend hours in the darkroom developing the film into negatives and printing photos, perfecting his craft. He assisted his father, Don Rubbo, in the creation of some of his artistic masterpieces, including sculptural works of art crafted from Styrofoam, fiberglass resin, acrylic paint and plywood. His father would make the sculptures come alive, seem to breathe, with colored lights and music.
In 1971, young Donald embarked on a transformative apprenticeship under George J. Goodstadt at the Bank Street Atelier in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Don Rubbo, Donald’s father, met George Goodstadt from his time working as a graphic artist for the Goddard Institute for Space Studies at NASA, and they became steadfast friends. Goodstadt founded The Bank Street Atelier in 1969, which quickly became a premier fine art stone lithography studio in New York City’s Greenwich Village. A visionary with a background at NASA, Goodstadt transitioned from aerospace to art with bold determination, establishing the atelier as a hub for Modern American Masters during the vibrant 1970s art scene. Located on Bank Street, the studio became renowned for its high-quality lithographic printmaking, rivaling Paris’s famed Mourlot print shop in volume and craftsmanship.
Working part-time and starting as a janitor, 14-year old Donald’s keen eye and dedication propelled him through the ranks of the premier lithography studio. He honed his craft by mixing colors with master artists, meticulously prepping rare lithographic stones sourced globally, hand-deckling archival prints, and pulling vibrant impressions on flatbed presses. Rising to full-time curator, Rubbo worked intimately with luminaries like Jasper Johns, Alex Katz, Willem de Koonig, Yves Ganne, Mel Hunter and Frank Roth, and Audrey Flack, orchestrating the creation of iconic prints that captured the era’s artistic zeitgeist. His journey at the atelier, a hub for Modern American Masters like Jasper Johns and Alex Katz, showcased his technical precision and creative synergy.
In 1972, Linda Shillito’s Multigravitational Experiment Group, a trailblazing avant-garde dance troupe known for its gravity-defying choreography, rehearsed at the Rubbo artist loft. This SoHo loft, a vibrant creative hub for Don Rubbo Sr. and his family, provided an ideal space for Shillito’s troupe to refine their innovative performances, and Don Sr.’s involvement extended beyond providing the rehearsal space; he and his children hand-painted the dancers costumes and the scenery for the group, infusing their productions with his bold, colorful aesthetic. The loft’s industrial setting, typical of SoHo’s artist community in the early 1970s, fostered the troupe’s experimental synergy, culminating in their preparations for a performance tour to Spain that year.
The Multigravitational Experiment Group pushed the boundaries of modern dance by suspending dancers from custom steel scaffolding with apparatus like inflated tires, nets, and plastic tubes, creating a dynamic synthesis of visual arts, music, and theater. Don Sr.’s vibrant, handcrafted designs and lighting system enhanced the troupe’s ethereal aesthetic, contributing to their groundbreaking performances. That same year, Don Sr. joined the group on its performance tour through Spain, immersing himself in their experimental ethos and bringing his artistic vision to international stages. This collaboration, rooted in the 1970s NYC avant-garde scene, showcased Don Sr.’s versatility and his ability to translate his graphic artistry into the dynamic realm of performance art, complementing Shillito’s pioneering choreography. Don Sr.'s collaboration underscores his son Donald's deep ties to NYC’s avant-garde scene.
In 1973, Dr. Egon Neustadt, the preeminent collector of Tiffany lamps and glass, commissioned Don Sr. to design the cover for his poetry book, ‘The Grateful Tree: A Book of Verse’. The first meeting took place at Neustadt’s Upper East Side townhouse on East 62nd Street, a treasure trove glowing with over 200 Tiffany lamps and windows, meticulously displayed in his private ‘Egon and Hildegard Neustadt Museum of Tiffany Art’. Present at this meeting were Don Sr., his young son Donald, and Freddie Gerlach, a student of Don Sr.'s.
Dr. Neustadt, a warm and erudite orthodontist, took a particular liking to young Donald, forging a mentorship that led to numerous visits to the townhouse, where the dazzling interplay of Tiffany’s iridescent glass left a lasting impression. During these visits, Neustadt shared a vivid account with Donald, recounting how, in 1957, he personally drove to Laurelton Hall, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Oyster Bay estate, after its devastating fire, to salvage as many Tiffany lamps and windows as possible from the ruins. This firsthand story, though not corroborated in public records, underscores Neustadt’s relentless dedication to preserving Tiffany’s legacy, with the recovered pieces likely joining the vast collection that filled his townhouse, later forming the core of The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass, now housed at the Queens Museum. Donald’s lifelong love of Tiffany glass was born from these memorable visits with Dr. Neustadt.
In 1973, Donald apprenticed under Felicie Schumsky at Felicie, Inc., at her studio in her East 53rd Street apartment. Felicie Inc. was a dynamic New York City publishing house pivotal to LeRoy Neiman’s rise as a celebrated artist. Immersed in the vibrant production of Neiman’s 1974 book, ‘LeRoy Neiman: Art & Lifestyle’, Rubbo worked closely with the iconic painter, curating the limited-edition serigraphs and lithographs that captured Neiman’s exuberant depictions of sports, society, and urban life. Under Schumsky’s guidance, Rubbo’s meticulous craftsmanship and keen artistic sensibility helped translate Neiman’s vivid compositions into the 350 illustrations (300 in full color) that defined the book, amplifying Felicie, Inc.’s role in cementing Neiman’s global acclaim. Donald also curated the lithography prints of Gloria Vanderbilt, Salvador Dali and Dong Kingman. This apprenticeship, set against the backdrop of Manhattan’s pulsating art scene, honed Rubbo’s expertise in fine art publishing.
During his lunch breaks at Felicie Inc., Donald would walk around the corner to the Lillian Nassau Gallery, at 220 East 57th Street, and study the Tiffany lamps and windows inside the Gallery. Donald spent quite a bit of time at Lillian Nassau’s gallery, and Lillian befriended young Donald. She encouraged him to begin his studies in earnest of Tiffany stained glass, and he went on to build a studio where he honed his skills in his beloved art glass.
In 1973, Donald’s father and mother were ill, and Donald became guardian for his younger brothers, Robert, George and Thomas. Two years later, when Donald was 18, his father went to court and designated Donald as the legal guardian for his younger brothers.
In early 1975, Donald moved to Fayetteville, NY, with his girlfriend, Elaine, and his younger brothers. He started a stained glass company with a partner, and they specialized in Tiffany lamp and window repairs, restorations, reproductions and art glass commissions. The partnership crumbled, and later that year, Donald moved to San Francisco, and after he found an apartment, he brought his younger brothers to live with him.
In 1979, Donald took his brothers back to New York, to live with their mother, and he traveled through Southeast Asia, with a friend, for a year.
In 1982, Donald moved to Marin County, and took some art classes at College of Marin. One of the classes was a stained glass workshop, taught by Marty Meade, an influential local glass artist. She was impressed with Donald’s creative expertise in glass art, and she invited Donald to be her assistant in teaching her glass art workshops. Marty Meade recommended Donald for a scholarship to the renowned Pilchuck Glass School, in Seattle, an international center for glass art education founded in 1971 by the renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. Donald spent a summer there, immersed in the creativity and daring of large scale glass sculptures.
After his summer at Pilchuck, Donald apprenticed with the visionary glass artist Narcissus Quagliata at a repurposed brewery in San Francisco, contributing to the creation of the monumental 50 ft. x 12 ft. stained glass mural for Oakland’s Pacific Bell Building. Under Quagliata’s mentorship, Rubbo immersed himself in the intricate craft of large scale leaded and blown art glass, mastering techniques that transformed raw materials into a cosmic tapestry of light and color. His collaboration on this groundbreaking project, which pushed stained glass into bold new realms of public art, showcased his precision and artistic sensitivity, helping to realize Quagliata’s radiant vision of galactic imagery that captivated viewers and cemented the mural’s place as a landmark of 1980s Bay Area artistry.
Donald Rubbo, on his own, continued producing stunning art, in particular bringing glass art painterly techniques to his watercolor paintings.
In 1971, young Donald embarked on a transformative apprenticeship under George J. Goodstadt at the Bank Street Atelier in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Don Rubbo, Donald’s father, met George Goodstadt from his time working as a graphic artist for the Goddard Institute for Space Studies at NASA, and they became steadfast friends. Goodstadt founded The Bank Street Atelier in 1969, which quickly became a premier fine art stone lithography studio in New York City’s Greenwich Village. A visionary with a background at NASA, Goodstadt transitioned from aerospace to art with bold determination, establishing the atelier as a hub for Modern American Masters during the vibrant 1970s art scene. Located on Bank Street, the studio became renowned for its high-quality lithographic printmaking, rivaling Paris’s famed Mourlot print shop in volume and craftsmanship.
Working part-time and starting as a janitor, 14-year old Donald’s keen eye and dedication propelled him through the ranks of the premier lithography studio. He honed his craft by mixing colors with master artists, meticulously prepping rare lithographic stones sourced globally, hand-deckling archival prints, and pulling vibrant impressions on flatbed presses. Rising to full-time curator, Rubbo worked intimately with luminaries like Jasper Johns, Alex Katz, Willem de Koonig, Yves Ganne, Mel Hunter and Frank Roth, and Audrey Flack, orchestrating the creation of iconic prints that captured the era’s artistic zeitgeist. His journey at the atelier, a hub for Modern American Masters like Jasper Johns and Alex Katz, showcased his technical precision and creative synergy.
In 1972, Linda Shillito’s Multigravitational Experiment Group, a trailblazing avant-garde dance troupe known for its gravity-defying choreography, rehearsed at the Rubbo artist loft. This SoHo loft, a vibrant creative hub for Don Rubbo Sr. and his family, provided an ideal space for Shillito’s troupe to refine their innovative performances, and Don Sr.’s involvement extended beyond providing the rehearsal space; he and his children hand-painted the dancers costumes and the scenery for the group, infusing their productions with his bold, colorful aesthetic. The loft’s industrial setting, typical of SoHo’s artist community in the early 1970s, fostered the troupe’s experimental synergy, culminating in their preparations for a performance tour to Spain that year.
The Multigravitational Experiment Group pushed the boundaries of modern dance by suspending dancers from custom steel scaffolding with apparatus like inflated tires, nets, and plastic tubes, creating a dynamic synthesis of visual arts, music, and theater. Don Sr.’s vibrant, handcrafted designs and lighting system enhanced the troupe’s ethereal aesthetic, contributing to their groundbreaking performances. That same year, Don Sr. joined the group on its performance tour through Spain, immersing himself in their experimental ethos and bringing his artistic vision to international stages. This collaboration, rooted in the 1970s NYC avant-garde scene, showcased Don Sr.’s versatility and his ability to translate his graphic artistry into the dynamic realm of performance art, complementing Shillito’s pioneering choreography. Don Sr.'s collaboration underscores his son Donald's deep ties to NYC’s avant-garde scene.
In 1973, Dr. Egon Neustadt, the preeminent collector of Tiffany lamps and glass, commissioned Don Sr. to design the cover for his poetry book, ‘The Grateful Tree: A Book of Verse’. The first meeting took place at Neustadt’s Upper East Side townhouse on East 62nd Street, a treasure trove glowing with over 200 Tiffany lamps and windows, meticulously displayed in his private ‘Egon and Hildegard Neustadt Museum of Tiffany Art’. Present at this meeting were Don Sr., his young son Donald, and Freddie Gerlach, a student of Don Sr.'s.
Dr. Neustadt, a warm and erudite orthodontist, took a particular liking to young Donald, forging a mentorship that led to numerous visits to the townhouse, where the dazzling interplay of Tiffany’s iridescent glass left a lasting impression. During these visits, Neustadt shared a vivid account with Donald, recounting how, in 1957, he personally drove to Laurelton Hall, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Oyster Bay estate, after its devastating fire, to salvage as many Tiffany lamps and windows as possible from the ruins. This firsthand story, though not corroborated in public records, underscores Neustadt’s relentless dedication to preserving Tiffany’s legacy, with the recovered pieces likely joining the vast collection that filled his townhouse, later forming the core of The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass, now housed at the Queens Museum. Donald’s lifelong love of Tiffany glass was born from these memorable visits with Dr. Neustadt.
In 1973, Donald apprenticed under Felicie Schumsky at Felicie, Inc., at her studio in her East 53rd Street apartment. Felicie Inc. was a dynamic New York City publishing house pivotal to LeRoy Neiman’s rise as a celebrated artist. Immersed in the vibrant production of Neiman’s 1974 book, ‘LeRoy Neiman: Art & Lifestyle’, Rubbo worked closely with the iconic painter, curating the limited-edition serigraphs and lithographs that captured Neiman’s exuberant depictions of sports, society, and urban life. Under Schumsky’s guidance, Rubbo’s meticulous craftsmanship and keen artistic sensibility helped translate Neiman’s vivid compositions into the 350 illustrations (300 in full color) that defined the book, amplifying Felicie, Inc.’s role in cementing Neiman’s global acclaim. Donald also curated the lithography prints of Gloria Vanderbilt, Salvador Dali and Dong Kingman. This apprenticeship, set against the backdrop of Manhattan’s pulsating art scene, honed Rubbo’s expertise in fine art publishing.
During his lunch breaks at Felicie Inc., Donald would walk around the corner to the Lillian Nassau Gallery, at 220 East 57th Street, and study the Tiffany lamps and windows inside the Gallery. Donald spent quite a bit of time at Lillian Nassau’s gallery, and Lillian befriended young Donald. She encouraged him to begin his studies in earnest of Tiffany stained glass, and he went on to build a studio where he honed his skills in his beloved art glass.
In 1973, Donald’s father and mother were ill, and Donald became guardian for his younger brothers, Robert, George and Thomas. Two years later, when Donald was 18, his father went to court and designated Donald as the legal guardian for his younger brothers.
In early 1975, Donald moved to Fayetteville, NY, with his girlfriend, Elaine, and his younger brothers. He started a stained glass company with a partner, and they specialized in Tiffany lamp and window repairs, restorations, reproductions and art glass commissions. The partnership crumbled, and later that year, Donald moved to San Francisco, and after he found an apartment, he brought his younger brothers to live with him.
In 1979, Donald took his brothers back to New York, to live with their mother, and he traveled through Southeast Asia, with a friend, for a year.
In 1982, Donald moved to Marin County, and took some art classes at College of Marin. One of the classes was a stained glass workshop, taught by Marty Meade, an influential local glass artist. She was impressed with Donald’s creative expertise in glass art, and she invited Donald to be her assistant in teaching her glass art workshops. Marty Meade recommended Donald for a scholarship to the renowned Pilchuck Glass School, in Seattle, an international center for glass art education founded in 1971 by the renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. Donald spent a summer there, immersed in the creativity and daring of large scale glass sculptures.
After his summer at Pilchuck, Donald apprenticed with the visionary glass artist Narcissus Quagliata at a repurposed brewery in San Francisco, contributing to the creation of the monumental 50 ft. x 12 ft. stained glass mural for Oakland’s Pacific Bell Building. Under Quagliata’s mentorship, Rubbo immersed himself in the intricate craft of large scale leaded and blown art glass, mastering techniques that transformed raw materials into a cosmic tapestry of light and color. His collaboration on this groundbreaking project, which pushed stained glass into bold new realms of public art, showcased his precision and artistic sensitivity, helping to realize Quagliata’s radiant vision of galactic imagery that captivated viewers and cemented the mural’s place as a landmark of 1980s Bay Area artistry.
Donald Rubbo, on his own, continued producing stunning art, in particular bringing glass art painterly techniques to his watercolor paintings.
Narcissus Quagliata Mural, Oakland, CA. Donald apprenticed on this historic stained glass piece
Poster for Watkins Glen concert, July 28, 1973, designed and printed by Donald and his dad, from a photo he took at the Allman Bros concert at Madison Square Garden, July 21, 1973.
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