faculty
Brittany Ryan Associate Professor
Brittany Ryan is a Southern California-based contemporary figurative sculptor. She received her formal education at the Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD), graduating in 2005 with a BFA in Illustration and a minor in Sculpture, followed by an MFA in drawing and painting in 2010. Since 2014, she has given back to her alma mater as an instructor and the sculpture department coordinator.
Brittany regularly participates in group shows with local museums, galleries, and art associations. She has earned multiple top awards, commendations from the National Sculpture Society, California Art Club, National Portrait Society, and the Art Renewal Center. She was also awarded the prestigious Elizabeth Greenshields grant, a highly sought-after honor created specifically for contemporary figurative artists.
Brittany is also well-known for her large-scale public installations. In 2018, she completed “Canyon Walkers,” a monumental project featuring four life-sized figurative bronze sculptures installed at LCAD’s main campus. She is currently in the final stages of creating a multi-figure, monumental war memorial for the City of Laguna Hills, projected for completion in 2029, and has just begun work on an Armenian Genocide memorial to be placed at the Great Park in Irvine, projected for completion in 2028.
In her creative process, Brittany constantly strives for a balance between a modern aesthetic, which keeps the art feeling fresh, and an entirely classical one, ensuring the work remains timeless rather than irrelevant. Her figures are highly specific, deeply individual, and never idealized.