Levison Design is an art licensing and design development agency representing diverse and talented artistsWe work every day to bring fabulous design to fantastic products, making the world a little more beautiful. Our artists lead design trends, tell wonderful stories with their work and brighten lives with their talent. Truly a special group, we work hard for them. And they work hard for our licensing partners, developing art for products and finding the next stunning thing, be it for tabletop, textiles, ornaments, wall décor, floor coverings, accessories, paper products, party goods and more. We were founded in 1992 by Ruth Levison who was soon joined by her husband Peter and later her son Mark. The family business rapidly grew into an industry leader because of art that shines the belief that it’s the relationships that are matter. It explains why our customers come back to us season after season and our artists stay with us for the long run.

 

Mark Levison:

Owner/President  Mark took the mantle of leading Levison Design in 2014. Joining the company in 2002, he has been intimately involved in all operations, decisions and direction of the company; initially in conjunction with Ruth & Peter and now setting the agenda. Mark had always had a creative bent, having attended music school, studied art history and photography, and he loves that this business affords him opportunity to work with artists and the beautiful work they create. Before Levison Design, Mark worked in both the creative side of technology, and financial services. He has modernized Levison Design and brought innovation to the art licensing industry; implementing technological solutions to better serve its client base and the artists it represents, more quickly and easily. Streamlining operations have allowed him to focus on direction for the future and extending the legacy of the company that brings gorgeous art to the everyday objects of people’s homes and lives.

Ruth Levison:

Founding Partner (retired) – If you've ever spoken to Ruth, you'd quickly figure out that this long time resident of the San Francisco Bay Area might just have some New York roots. She's no shrinking violet and it has served her well in her long and successful career. Ruth was the creative force behind the Curtis Swann greeting card company. She was ever present at the gift and stationery shows for many years and knows everybody. When she and Peter sold the company, she was looking for her next big thing. A stint as a creative consultant with a major party goods manufacturer, where she sourced art and artists for their products, led her into the world of art licensing. Figuring the artists she had found could create work for countless other products, Ruth established Ruth Levison Design (now Levison Design, Inc.) and has been one of the leading licensing agents since. Trends have come and gone and come back again and she has been on top of them all. Creativity, knowhow and chutzpah have gotten her to where she is today. Ruth has three children and seven grandchildren. We'll do her the courtesy of not mentioning their ages.

Peter Levison:

Partner Emeritus – We regret to report that Peter passed away in July of 2023. But we leave his Bio here in loving memory.

Peter is old school. Peter is new school. His roots take him back to the days when publishers and manufacturers hired printing brokers to handle the management of their print production, but his Photoshop skills could get him a job at Adobe. He could proof a 4 color separation and handle a press check with the best of them or he can upload a 4 gig file to the FTP server. The first company he started, the printing brokerage Peter G. Levison Associates had a very successful run, but it was his second company, Curtis Swann, that really put him on the map in the industry. He knew everybody with a press, every rep in the country and how to mass produce beautiful things on paper. When he and Ruth sold the company in the early nineties the industry was changing and it was time for him to change as well. Ruth had been dabbling with this art licensing thing and all of a sudden, she had more work than she could handle. Peter started computerizing the business, tracking the royalties and organizing the art. Ruth Levison Design (now Levison Design, Inc.) was off to the races. His love of design, development and business keeps him going strong. Coincidentally he has the exact same number of children and grandchildren as Ruth.