An Evening with Brian Rutenberg
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Acclaimed painter, author and educator to share an inside look at his life, work and creative process, followed by an audience Q&A and wine reception.
An Evening with Brian Rutenberg
Acclaimed painter, author and educator to share an inside look at his life, work and creative process, followed by an audience Q&A and wine reception.
Time & Location
Oct 22, 2026, 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Woodward Contemporary, 3935 Harney St, San Diego, CA 92110, USA
Event Description
Art Talk: An Evening with Brian Rutenberg
Tickets: $85
Includes: Seated Artist Talk (45 min.) · Audience Q&A · Hosted Wine Reception & Catered Bites
Acclaimed painter, author and educator to share an inside look at his life, work and creative process, followed by an audience Q&A and wine reception.
Woodward Contemporary welcomes celebrated American painter Brian Rutenberg for a special evening of art and conversation at the gallery’s historic Old Town San Diego location.
Limited to 75 guests, the event will offer a rare opportunity to hear directly from Rutenberg as he presents an illustrated talk exploring his artistic journey, influences, and the ideas and experiences behind his distinctive, color-charged paintings. The approximately 45-minute seated presentation will be followed by an open audience Q&A, giving guests the opportunity to engage directly with the artist. The evening will conclude with a hosted wine reception and catered light bites, allowing guests to continue the conversation with Rutenberg in the intimate setting of Woodward Contemporary.
Known for his richly layered, expressive paintings inspired by the landscape and light of his native South Carolina Lowcountry, Rutenberg has built an acclaimed career spanning more than four decades. His work explores the intersection of abstraction, memory, place and the natural world, combining intense color and physicality with a deep connection to the history of painting.
Rutenberg received a BFA from the College of Charleston and an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York. His work has been exhibited extensively throughout the United States and is held in numerous museum, corporate and private collections. He is also the author of "Clear Seeing Place" and has developed a wide following among artists and art lovers through his lectures, writings and engaging discussions of painting and the creative process.
The October event reflects Woodward Contemporary’s mission to bring artists, collectors and the community together through meaningful encounters with contemporary art.
“There is something entirely different about hearing an artist talk about the work while standing in a space devoted to making and experiencing art,” said Gigi Woodward of Woodward Contemporary. “Brian has an extraordinary ability to talk about painting in a way that is thoughtful, funny, accessible and deeply inspiring. We’re thrilled to bring that experience to San Diego.”
Signed copies of Rutenberg’s book, "Clear Seeing Place," will also be available.
About Brian Rutenberg
Brian received his BFA in 1987 from the College of Charleston and his MFA in 1989 from the School of Visual Arts, New York. He is a Fulbright Scholar, a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow, a Basil Alkazzi USA Award recipient, an Irish Museum of Modern Art visiting artist program participant, and has had over two hundred and fifty exhibitions throughout North America. Rutenberg's paintings are included in such museum collections as Yale University Art Gallery, The Butler Institute of American Art, Bronx Museum of Art, Peabody Essex Museum of Art, Greenville County Museum of Art, Provincetown Art Association and Museum, South Carolina State Museum, and many others. His popular YouTube videos "Brian Rutenberg Studio Visits" are viewed daily by people all over the world. Radius Books published a full color monograph in 2008. Brian's book, "Clear Seeing Place," was released in October 2016 and was an Amazon #1 bestseller. His new monograph, "A Little Long Time," published by Forum Gallery in 2019 is also an Amazon bestseller. Brian received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the College of Charleston where he delivered the 2018 commencement address.
Brian lives and works in New York City with his wife Kathryn.