The True Story of Tamara De Lempicka & the Art of Survival

A native of Seattle, WA, Rasmussen earned his BA in Art from Whitman College before moving to Washington, DC, and completing an MFA in Painting, MA in Arts Management, and MA and PhD in Anthropology at American University. He worked for the Education Department of the National Gallery of Art before becoming Assistant Director of the Washington Project for the Arts when it opened in 1975. He left this position to open the Jack Rasmussen Gallery, one of the first commercial art galleries in downtown Washington, and then helped launch Rockville Arts Place (VisArts), served for ten years as the Executive Director of Maryland Art Place, and three years as Executive Director of di Rosa, a contemporary art museum and sculpture garden in Napa, California. Rasmussen has been the Director and Curator of the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DC, since it opened in 2005.

Rasmussen is past President of the Maryland State Arts Council and the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, and has curated regional, national, and international exhibitions, including shows from Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, North and South Korea, Germany, Haiti, Hungary, India, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Lebanon, Mexico, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Palestine, Russia ,Serbia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and nearly every Spanish-speaking country in the world

Julie Rubio is an award-winning film producer, writer, director, and actor. As President of Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area and founder of East Meets West Productions, she produced the acclaimed “East Side Sushi,” which has enjoyed both domestic and international distribution via the Samuel Goldwyn Company, Sony Home Pictures, HBO North America, and Netflix. Rubio is the writer, director, and producer of the comedy “Too Perfect,” which found its audience domestically on Amazon Prime and through Osiris Entertainment. She also took on the roles of writer, director, and producer for “Six Sex Scenes and a Murder,” available on Netflix and Apple TV. Other cinematic ventures Rubio has helmed include “Soledad is Gone Forever” for Haiku Films, “Oakland B Mine, “the comedy” Del Cielo,” “Everything is Temporary,” and “Impression.” Her films have graced numerous domestic and international festivals. Rubio’s latest work, “The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival,” marks her debut as a featured documentary writer, director, and producer. For years, the enigmatic allure of Tamara de Lempicka’s paintings and life story have captivated Rubio

Blake Wellen, originally from Mill Valley and now residing in Orinda, California with his family, is a prominent figure in the film industry. Since joining East Meets West Productions, LLC. in 2007as an associate and co-producer, Blake has been instrumental in shaping the company’s success. Specializing in feature films, short documentaries, narrative shorts. East Meets West Productions has earned acclaim at numerous domestic and international film festivals. Their standout achievement includes the critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning feature film “East Side Sushi,” which has secured widespread domestic and international distribution through Samuel Goldwyn Company, Sony Home Entertainment, HBO North America, and Netflix. Recognized as one of the Top 20 Bay Area Films of the Decade by the Mercury News in 2019,”East Side Sushi” underscores Blake’s commitment to producing compelling and culturally significant cinema.