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Ryan Huna Smith Ryan is currently the Program Manager of the Upward Bound Program at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. The Upward Bound Program assists low-income first-generation high school students to complete high school while preparing them for post-secondary education. He is a member of PCC’s adjunct faculty where he teaches watercolor. Ryan also works as a free-lance artist and illustrator and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Art Highlights: August 2006 - Ryan was one of six artists selected by the City of Phoenix to produce a piece of art for the 7th Avenue Streetscapes Project which is currently on display. 2006 - Illustrated the children’s book The Three Little Sheep published by Salina Bookshelf in Flagstaff, Arizona. The book is a Navajo adaptation of the Three Little Pigs and is written in English and Navajo. December 2005 - Received an award for the Quick Draw Contest at the Pueblo Grande Indian Market in Phoenix, Arizona. Artists were given a theme and had 30 minutes to complete a drawing. July 2005 - Selected as the Featured Artist at the Prescott Indian Art Market, Prescott, Arizona. June 2005 - Nominated for a $50,000 USA Artist Fellowship. July 2003 and 2004 - Received awards for 3rd Place in Two-Dimensional Art at the Prescott Indian Art Market, Prescott, Arizona. 1996 - Illustrated the comic book Tribal Force, which was the first comic book created by Native Americans that featured Native American Superheroes. Ryan has work in museum collections at the Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott, Arizona; The Institute of American Indian Arts Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico; and The Heritage Center, Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Private collections include: Danny Glover, Actor; and the Honorable Raul M. Grijalva, Arizona 7th District. Artist Statement: “I have always been interested in painting and drawing images depicting my Native American heritage. I have pursued this subject matter to learn more about my tribal traditions and to share with others the images I have created. By doing so, I have remained connected to my Native culture. I paint images from my Chemehuevi and Navajo heritage, but I also enjoy painting images of other tribes. I feel strongly that much of our culture is disappearing and the younger generation have lack of interest in preserving it. I feel through my art I can create images to inspire Native youth to preserve their culture through art.” “My current style evolved at the end of my college career. During that time I was strongly influenced by art found in comic books and Japanese animation. My desire to explore Native American culture mixed with this contemporary interest. I liked the results I had in combining exaggerated human forms and bright color. I felt that the real beauty of our people could only be captured in bright inspiring colors and that these real life images were larger than life, hence the exaggeration seen in my work. The majority of my work incorporates human figures which I love to draw and paint. I like rendering hands and I make them the main focus of the compositions I create. The hands in my work are large, powerful, and depict massive jewelry to pay homage to the popular art form of turquoise and silver. I have received mixed reactions with my work, where some view it as humorous and others offensive. However, my art is in no way intended to be humorous nor offensive, I create images that please me and give full respect to the tribal images I am representing. “ “Other themes that I am currently working on involve Native culture and technology, casinos and Indian gaming, and Native American humor. Many people view Native American culture in the past tense and believe that we no longer exist, or they associate our culture with the Old West. By exploring these themes, my intentions are to highlight Native people and culture in the present and to deal with modern issues.” Goals: Working full-time does not allow me to devote the time I would like toward my art; however, I don’t let this hinder my goal to one day become a full-time artist. In respect to my illustrational goals, I have recently completed a children’s book and would like to illustrate comic books once again. As for my painting, I’m starting to become known in Arizona due to my participation in Native American art shows such as The Heard Museum Indian Fair and Art Market, The Pueblo Grande Indian Art Market, and The Prescott Indian Art Market. I’m currently represented by several small galleries in Tucson, but hope to pursue representation in other galleries. My ultimate goal is to obtain my Masters degree in Art or Educational Technology. Having received my degree I would like to pursue a career teaching art at the collegiate level.” |