The Dubin Studio under construction in 1997 (left) and after its completion (right).
The Board of Directors and staff of the School for Advanced Research together mourn the loss of Ronald N. Dubin, who passed away in Greenwich, Connecticut, on December 30 at the age of eighty-nine.
Ron Dubin was one of SAR’s most loyal and enthusiastic supporters. He was greatly respected by the many Native American artists who benefited professionally from the Ron and Susan Dubin Native Artist Fellowship since its establishment in 1993. Ron and his wife, Susan, maintained decades-long relationships with former Dubin fellows, including such prominent artists as Lonnie Vigil, Nora Naranjo Morse, and Mateo Romero. Many of these artists spent their fellowships working in the Dubin Artists’ Studio, constructed in 1997.
Elysia Poon, director of SAR’s Indian Arts Research Center, adds, “Ron was instrumental in ensuring SAR’s ability to support Native artists and their work well into the future. His life was remarkable, and his excitement and joy at meeting new artists contagious. He will be greatly missed.”
Left: Ron Dubin with 2014 Ronald and Susan Dubin Native artist fellow Anthony Belvado (San Carlos Apache), and right: Ron and Susan Dubin with 2017 Dubin fellow Loren Aragon (Acoma Pueblo).
Ron served on the SAR Board of Directors from 1994 to 2002 and was named an Honorary Director in 2020 in recognition of his extraordinary service to the institution. Along with his wife, he was also involved in several other nonprofit institutions in Santa Fe, including the Santa Fe Opera.
Left: Ron and Susan Dubin, and right: Ron Dubin and Michael Brown at SAR.
SAR extends condolences to Susan Dubin, as well as to Ron and Susan’s family and vast network of friends. A more detailed and beautifully written obituary authored by Ron’s family is available here.
Michael F. Brown, President