The Works Gallery was founded by Ruth Snyderman in 1965. It is one of the oldest exhibiting galleries in the field of contemporary studio crafts, representing selected artists working in figurative, narrative and functional ceramics, glass, jewelry, fiber and wood. Rick Snyderman joined her in the operation of the gallery in 1972.

In 1983, the Snydermans co-founded a second operation, Snyderman Gallery, to create a specifically focused exhibition space for the rapidly developing areas of studio furniture and sculptural glass, while Works Gallery concentrated on artists in ceramics, jewelry and fiber.

During that period, both became leading national galleries in those fields, mounting landmark exhibitions: glass designed by Ettore Sottsass's Memphis Group; one of the first exhibits of architect Robert Venturi's post-modern chair & table designs for Knoll; a landmark exhibit: Masters of 20th Century Studio Furniture, ranging from Wharton Esherick to Wendell Castle; early exhibits of work by Dale Chihuly, William Morris, Harvey Littleton, Tom Patti, Toots Zynsky, Richard Marquis, and many other pioneers in the field of glass sculpture. In 1992, Snyderman Gallery acquired a 6,000 square foot space in the Old City section of downtown Philadelphia, an area that has since become one of the major cultural districts of the city. Today, Old City houses a mixture of more than 50 galleries, visual and performing arts centers, museums, and theatres, as well as some of the region's top restaurants.

The new space enabled Snyderman Gallery to expand into the areas of painting, prints, photography and sculpture. It now represents 30 artists, developing commissions and site specific cultural projects for them, while continuing to present their work in solo exhibits at the gallery, and organizing exhibitions of their work at art institutions throughout the United States and abroad.

In 1996, Works Gallery moved to the Old City location, combining forces with Snyderman Gallery in the use of the space. Both galleries maintain their separate identities and independent exhibition schedules, but work together on special projects and out-of-gallery expositions.

Ruth Snyderman serves on the board of directors of Collab, an organization of designers that supports and raises money to purchase objects for the Philadelphia Museum of Art's 20th Century Design Collection.

Rick Snyderman is a former member of the Mayor's Cultural Advisory Council, a panel of leading business, civic and cultural leaders that assist in developing cultural policy for the city. He is a charter member of, and still active on the regional council that developed and advises the Pew Charitable Trust's Individual Artist Fellowships Program. Since its inception in 1992, the Fellowship Program has made grants to individual regional artists totaling more than 5.5 million dollars.

The Snydermans played a major role in organizing the 1987 Glass Art Society Conference in Philadelphia, securing Anne D'harnoncourt, Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and a world expert on the works of Marcel Duchamp, to deliver a keynote address on his work "The Large Glass". In 1991, the Snydermans gave a lecture tour throughout Wales on the American craft movement. In 1997, Rick Snyderman lectured on the development of the 20th century American studio furniture movement at the Winterthur Museum, Wilmington, Delaware. Over the last 30 years, they have served on many panels and lectured extensively on the American craft movement.