Jen Rubio's Impact on the Art World and Philanthropy
The Away co-founder's passion for art and commitment to supporting institutions and artists have earned her recognition.
Jen Rubio, co-founder of the luggage brand Away, has established a significant presence in the art world within less than a decade. Her art collection, notable for being more than half comprised of works by female artists, has played a role in elevating historically undervalued figures.
Rubio stated that her curatorial choices were primarily driven by personal connection to the art rather than a specific mission to support women Surrealists. "The art is just so good," she remarked.
In April, Rubio and her soon-to-be-ex-husband, tech billionaire Stewart Butterfield, committed over $23 million to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Rubio, who serves on the museum's board, said the donation aims to ensure the institution can consistently fund its interns. "I've always been really fascinated by interventions that happen early enough to be able to to change the trajectory of someone's life," she said.
The couple also facilitated museum acquisitions of artworks they admired, which the institutions might not have been able to afford otherwise. Rubio described her collecting philosophy as focused on what she personally desires to live with, contrasting it with her philanthropic approach, which she stated is about "what I want to outlive me."