[3] At 19, she moved to Los Angeles to join her mother and brother, initially enrolling at Los Angeles City College, then transferring to the University of Southern California where she graduated with a degree in art history.
[3] She then pursued a graduate degree in Italian Language and Literature from the Middlebury College and Università di Firenze.
[3] After earning her degree, Ruiz worked in Florence until 1982, then returned to Los Angeles and joined MOCA, initially as executive assistant to director Richard Koshalek.
Recently, art critics Hunter Drohojowska-Philp and Edward Goldman praised her work for the solo exhibition of Magdalena Fernández at MOCA Pacific Design Center.
[6] Selected curation for the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles: Additional exhibitions by Artists: