American, b. 1931

Max Ginsburg received his BFA from Syracuse University and his MFA from City College of New York. Since then, his true to life New York City sidewalk scenes have received numerous awards including, Christopher Award, Pauline Law Award, The Edith Lehman Prize, and honorable mentions from both Audubon and Salamagundi.  Ginsburg Is an active member of the Allied Artists and the Society of Illustrators and his work has been commissioned by New York Times Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Harper Collins Publications, Dial Books/Penguin Publications and many others.  His paintings also hang in many prominent collections, such as New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, Martin Luther King Labor Center, H. J. Heinz Company and those of Jules Bernstein, Dom DeLuise, Edgar Bronfman, Harvey Fierstein, and David Brenner.

Artist’s Statement:

“I have lived and worked in New York all my life. As a New Yorker, I feel a personal and deep connection to this rich, energetic and beautiful city with its amazingly diverse population. My objective is to paint about the people of New York, realistically and with compassion. I have expressed my strongly held feelings about peace and justice; deep outrage to war, injustice and torture are conveyed in some of my paintings. With regard to these themes, I have been inspired by Old Masters such as Caravaggio, Goya, Kollwitz and Picasso. I choose to paint realistically because I believe realism is truth and truth is beauty. I derive an aesthetic pleasure in skillfully done realistic drawings and paintings. I believe that realism can communicate ideas strongly and it is this communication that is extremely important to me.” – Max Ginsburg

Education
High School of Music and Art, New York, NY
BFA, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
City College of New York, New York, NY
Studied informally with Abraham Ginsburg over many years

Teaching
High School of Art and Design, New York, NY (1960 -1982)
School of Visual Arts, New York, NY (1984 -2000)
Art Students League, New York, NY (1997-2000; 2008-2011)

Selected Solo Exhibitions
2012 The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH
2012 Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
2011 Retrospective, The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH
2009 International Peace Museum – Missing Art Space, Dayton, OH
2009 Martin Luther King Labor Center Gallery
2008 SEIU, New York, NY
1993 Franklin Mint, Exton, PA
1980 Reyn Gallery, New York, NY

Selected Awards
2020 Gold Medal, Portrait Society of America
2015 William Draper Grand Prize, Portrait Society of America
2011 “Best in Show” Award, Art Renewal Center Salon
2010 Joseph Hartley Memorial Award, Salmagundi Club non-members Juried Exhibition
2008 Philip Desind Award, 72nd National Midyear Exhibition, The Butler Institute of American Art
2008 Forbes Magazine Award, Salmagundi Club, non-members Juried Exhibition
2007 Collectors Prize, 71st National Midyear Exhibition, The Butler Institute of American Art
2007 Best in Show Award, Salmagundi Club, non-members Juried Exhibition
2007 Elias and Lillian Judith Newman Award, Audubon Artists
2006 The Len G. Everett Memorial Award, Allied Artists of America
2006 Silver Medal, Audubon Artists
2005 Chairman’s Award, Art Renewal Center
2005 Purchase Prize, Art Renewal Center
2005 The Ethel Gilmore – Charles J. Romans Memorial Award, Allied Artists of America
2004 Silver Medal, Allied Artists of America
2004 Art Emis Award, Romance Writers of America
 
Selected Group Exhibitions
Allied Artists of America, NY
Huntsville Museum of Art, AL
Wayne Stark Gallery, TX
Museum of Texas Tech University, TX
Bergstrom Mahler Museum, WI
American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, NY
America China Oil Painting Artists League (ACOPAL) at the National Art Club, 2011
Art Students League, NY
Bronfman Center, NYU, NY
The Butler Institute of American Art, Midyear Exhibitions, OH
Salmagundi Club, NY
Martin Luther King Labor Center, NY
Museum of the City of New York, NY
National Academy of Design Biennials, NY
New-York Historical Society, NY
Salmagundi Club, NY
Society of Illustrators, NY