Bio /Artist Statement
Born in 1983 in San Diego, California, Brittany Ryan received her formal education at Laguna College of Art and Design. Graduating in 2005 with a BFA, majoring in Illustration and a minor in Sculpture and her MFA in drawing and painting in 2010.
Brittany currently lives and works in Southern California. She is involved in group shows with local museums, galleries and art associations. In 2021 Brittany was juried into the California Art club Gold Metal Show and won first place in sculpture at the Portrait Society International competition. In 2020 won the Gold Medal award at the National Sculpture Societies 87th Annual Awards show, as well as other commendations in previous years.
In 2018 Brittany completed the “Canyon Walkers” a monumental sculpture project consisting of four monumental size figurative sculptures cast in bronze installed at the main campus of Laguna College of Art and Design. In 2013 Brittany was awarded the Elizabeth Greenshields grant, a prestigious grant created for contemporary figurative artists.
Since 2014 Brittany has been the sculpture department coordinator and an instructor at her alma mater Laguna College of Art + Design.
In the execution of her work Brittany strives for balance between a modern aesthetic which could prevent the work from feeling timeless, and an entirely classical one that might make it irrelevant. These figures are specific, not idealized, not without identity. She is looking for a space somewhere between narrative and poetry for them to inhabit. Hoping the viewer relates deeply to the power and intent of the figures, to care about where they are going, to feel what motivates them.
CV
Exhibitions
SPRING / BREAK Art Show - Municipal Swimming - Los Angeles, CA 2023
Halcyon Days - Hosted by Beautiful Bizzare Magazine at Modern Eden Gallery - San Francisco, CA 2022
111th Gold Metal Show - California Art Club, Bowers Museum- Santa Ana, CA 2022
Art Renewal Center 16th Annual Salon - Finalist 2022
88th Annual Juried Show - National Sculpture Society - Brookgreen Gardens, SC 2021
110th Gold Metal Show - California Art Club, Hilbert Museum- Orange, CA 2021
Portrait Society Of America Annual International Portrait Competition 2021
Art Renewal Center 15th Annual Salon - Finalist 2021
California Cool - Laguna Art Museum - Laguna Beach, CA 2015 to 2023
87th Annual Winners Exhibition - National Sculpture Society - New York, NY 2020
87th Annual Juried Show - National Sculpture Society - Brookgreen Gardens, SC 2020
Beautiful Bizarre Art prize - Finalist 2020
109th Gold Metal Show - California Art Club, Hilbert Museum- Orange, CA 2020
Forrealism - Three person show, Haus of Maha- Los Angles, CA 2020
22nd Annual International Competition Finalist - Portrait Society Orlando, FL 2020
86th Annual Winners Exhibition - National Sculpture Society - New York, NY 2019
86th Annual Juried Show - National Sculpture Society - Brookgreen Gardens, SC 2019
In Search of the Real III - Faculty Show, LCAD Gallery on Forest - Laguna Beach, CA 2019
In Search of the Real II - Faculty Show, LCAD Gallery on Forest, Laguna Beach, CA 2018
Canyon Walkers Solo Show - LCAD Gallery on Forest, Laguna Beach, CA 2017
Ugly Children Solo Exhibition - B- Studios, Santa Ana, CA 2016
The Art of the Heist - Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA 2014
Palette to Palette - Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA 2013
1x8x16 Solo Exhibition - JGK Gallery, Rochester, NY 2013
Group Exhibition - Cavalier Fine Art, Greenwich, CT 2013
Contemporary Traditionalists - Huntington Beach Arts Center, Huntington Beach, CA 2012
Festival of Art Exhibitor - Laguna Beach, CA 2011 to 2014
The Dress Makes the Girl MFA Thesis Show - Arena One Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 2010
Awards and Grants
California Art Club Award for Excellence in Sculpture - Gold Metal Show 2022
National Sculpture Society Beverly Hoyt Robertson Memorial Award - Brookgreen Gardens, SC 2021
Portrait Society Of America Annual International Portrait Competition - First place In Sculpture, FL 2021
Art Renewal Center 15th Annual Salon- Honorable Mention, 2021
National Sculpture Society’s Gold Medal/Charlotte Geffken Prize- Brookgreen Gardens, SC 2020
National Sculpture Society's Silver Medal/Maurice B. Hexter Prize - Brookgreen Gardens, SC 2019
Roger T. Williams Prize at Richard McDermott Sculpture competition NSS - New York, NY 2019
Elizabeth Greenshields Grant - Quebec, Canada 2015
Education
2010 MFA, Laguna College of Art and Design Laguna Beach, CA
2008 Portrait painting, Florence Academy Florence, Italy
2005 BFA, Laguna College of Art and Design Laguna Beach, CA
Teaching
2022 Brookgreen Gardens Master Class - “Figure in Motion”
2014 to Present - Laguna College of Art + Design BFA
Instructor and Sculpture Department Coordinator
Designing overarching curriculum for sculpture program in coordination with fine art department.
Advise advanced students on senior portfolio body of work incorporating both sculpture and painting.
Management of sculpture studio, equipment and materials.
Consult on hiring, training and management of sculpture instructors.
Courses taught
Fundamentals, Intermediate, Advanced 1 and 2, Figure and Portrait Sculpture
Mold making, Casting and Special topics sculpture
Fantasy Sculpture
Fundamentals of Drawing and Figure drawing
Senior Portfolio
2018 to Present - Laguna College of Art and Design MFA
Mentor and Advisor
Meet with students to develop their thesis body of artwork and thesis paper. Advising on both formal and conceptual elements.
2016 to Present - Fullerton College
Adjunct Professor Figure Sculpture
2017 to 2019 - Saddleback College
Adjunct Professor Figure Sculpture