In June 2019, artist Renzo Ortega was in residence at the Ruby painting studio, where he created several vibrant paintings informed by his complex understanding of identity, heritage and art.
The Power of Painting
Open To The Public"Is painting relevant? What lies beyond painting?" Renzo Ortega, a Peruvian-born artist now based in Carrboro, offers answers following his solo exhibition at Duke's Power Plant Gallery and time as a visiting artist at the Rubenstein Arts Center in 2019.

Drop by the Ruby on Fridays at noon for a casual art talk and free lunch to learn about the behind-the-scenes aspect of the creative process, careers in the arts, and more
About the Speaker
Renzo Ortega (Lima, Perú, 1974), is an artist based in Carrboro, North Carolina. Renzo received a BFA in painting from the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes del Perú (1999), studied at the Art Students League of New York (2000-04) and has his MFA in painting from Hunter College (2014). His artwork has been exhibited in solo and group shows in the United States, Spain, and Perú. His recent solo exhibitions have been at Vox Populi gallery in Philadelphia (March 2019) and at the Power Plant Gallery at Duke University (February 2019). He is a recipient of the 2018-2019 North Carolina Arts Council Artist Fellowship Award, 2018-2019 Orange County Arts Commission Artist Project Grant, and a 2016 Queens Council on the Arts New Work Award. In 2013, as a Kossak Travel Grant recipient, Ortega traveled to Berlin to study German Expressionism. In 2015, Ortega traveled to Honduras as a part of the U.S. Department of Cultural Affairs Cultural Envoy Program. Renzo was a visiting lecturer at UNC Chapell Hill (Spring 2018), teaching painting to undergraduate students. In June 2019, Ortega was a visiting artist at the Rubenstein Arts Center at Duke University.
