Ruegg was born in San Francisco, the daughter of Gallus Ruegg and Martina Vogt Ruegg. Her father was from Switzerland and her mother was from Austria. She attended
Alfred University in New York,[2] Mount Zion Hospital and Training School of Nursing in San Francisco,[3] the
Chouinard Art Institute[4] and
Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles.[5][6][7]
Ruegg was best known for her paintings and "sparkling small sketches"[11] of dancers and dance performances.[12] Her work was included in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, She earned prizes at the
Los Angeles County Fair,[13] and was featured at
Corcoran Gallery, at the
Los Angeles Museum in
Exposition Park, and at other venues.[14] She was a member of the California Art Club Association.[5]
In widowhood, she worked in promotions at the
Walt Disney Studios, and became an artist in the ink and paint department. By 1942 she had moved to the
Leon Schlesinger studio to do similar work, and became a camerawoman in the animation process during
World War II.[10][15][16]
Personal life and legacy
Ruegg married Canadian-born actors' agent Frederick J. Robinson in 1926. The Robinsons'
Beverly Hills home burned down in 1939, and her husband died later that year.[17][18] She died in 1973, in Los Angeles, at the age of 77. There is a collection of her papers, including sketches and drawings, in the special collections of the
University of California, Irvine.[5][12]