biography

Conn Ryder was drawn to and garnered praise for her art from an early age.  But it was an incident during a high school drawing class that expanded her way of thinking about art.   Assigned to create a pencil drawing of a shoe, Conn sorted through a box of old shoes and, after choosing a clean white Keds sneaker, tied the laces in a neat bow and began sketching. Noticing this, her teacher lunged toward her desk and heaved the sneaker across the room where it hit and bounced off the wall.  He wildly dug through the box of shoes, eventually pulling out an oversized, raggedy, high-topped basketball shoe with the tongue half ripped off and shredded shoelaces.  He slammed the tattered shoe down in front of Conn and said "Draw this! This shoe has character!"  Conn created the best drawing she had done to date and received an A+ for her efforts.  More importantly, she walked away with a lesson in seeing the character, interest and beauty in the least obvious places.

Conn's formal art education includes fashion illustration at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and painting at the Kansas City Art Institute.  Once during college, Conn's instructor led a group of art students into the painting studio to show them a large abstract Conn was working on.  The instructor pulled the painting out of the storage slot, only to discover the previously colorful canvas had been covered with thick, black paint.  Conn later explained that out of frustration, she painted the entire surface black, and in doing so, freed herself from the creative fetters of the previous image.  The next afternoon, she feverishly scraped back into the black surface, reworking areas as she went and uncovered a more complex and texturally varied abstract that suited her sensibilities. The instructor said she knew then that Conn was a true artist. 

Conn later turned to representational painting, focusing on still lifes and commissioned portraits, but as other aspects of her life began to take over, Conn's artistic pursuits became sporadic at best or placed on the back burner altogether. Though the course of her artistic evolution zigzagged through fashion illustration, representational art and at times was suspended, by age 50, Conn found her way back to the abstract painting that resonated in her core. Since that time she has painted with dedication to cultivate her own unique artistic voice.

Her abstract paintings have been presented in multiple solo and invitational group exhibitions, juried shows and are in private and corporate collections throughout North America. Conn's work has been featured in Acrylic Art Magazine and a DIY Network home renovation show. She served as curator for a gallery exhibition of women abstract artists titled "Kicking Abstract & Taking Names."   Her painting "Full Tilt" is currently heading across the globe to hang in the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic during the post of U.S. Ambassador Lesslie Viguerie, as part of the U.S. Department of State Art in Embassies program.
resumé

CURATOR
     Kicking Abstract and Taking Names: Women Painters, curated by Conn Ryder; Sept 13 - Oct 19, 2019; Moberg Gallery; Des Moines, IA

SOLO EXHBITIONS
     Solo exhibit / Four Solos * June 2-30, 2017; Moberg Gallery; Des Moines, IA
     Conn Ryder * Selected Works; April 1-29, 2016; Front gallery space at Point Gallery; Denver CO
     Conn Ryder * Selected Works; May 1 - 31, 2016; Rear gallery space at Point Gallery; Denver CO

INVITATIONAL / GROUP EXHIBITIONS
     Contemporary Abstraction; May 27 - August 2022; Moberg Gallery; Des Moines, IA
     Women Abstract Expressions: the Next Generation; Sept 2-5, 2021; Moberg Gallery booth D19; Hamptons Fine Art Fair; Southhampton, NY
     Contemporary Women Paint: Abstract Expressions; January 29 - March 20, 2021 -- Moberg Gallery; Des Moines, IA
     Winter Group Show 2019; December 2, 2019  - January 6, 2020; Moberg Gallery; Des Moines, IA
     Kicking Abstract and Taking Names: Women Painters, curated by Conn Ryder; Sept 13 - Oct 19, 2019; Moberg Gallery; Des Moines, IA
     Group Exhibition; February 26 - April 20, 2019; Moberg Gallery; Des Moines, IA
     Spring Group Show 2018; June 1 - August 1, 2018; Moberg Gallery; Des Moines, IA
     Winter Group Show 2017 ; December 1, 2017 - January 2018; Moberg Gallery; Des Moines, IA
     Winter Group Show 2016; December 2, 2016 - January 2017; Moberg Gallery; Des Moines, IA
     Colorado Women in Abstraction; Group exhibition; July 15 - October 1, 2016; MSU Center for Visual Art; Denver CO

SELECT JURIED EXHIBITIONS
     Shades of Red 2023 International Exhibition; Camelback Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
     40th Annual All Colorado Art Show; July 8 - August 26, 2023; Curtis Center for the Arts; Greenwood Village, CO
     All Abstracts 2022 International Exhibition; Camelback Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
     Viral Influence:  Art in the Time of Coronavirus; May 20 - Aug 22, 2021; Arvada Center for the Arts; Arvada, CO
     Spring Art Exhibit; City of Brighton Eye for Art Program; Brighton, CO 2016
     Holiday Art Exhibit; City of Brighton Eye for Art Program; Brighton, CO; 2015
     Governor's Art Show; The Loveland Museum; Loveland, CO; 2014
     The ART of it ALL 2--An International Juried Exhibition; SHY RABBIT Contemporary Arts; Pagosa Springs, CO; Nov '13-Jan '14
     11th Annual Lone Tree Art Exhibition, Lone Tree Arts Center, Lone Tree, CO; 2012
     Celebrate Colorado Artists!, Madden Museum of Art, Greenwood Village, CO; 2012
     The "Women" Show, CORE New Art Space; Denver, CO; 2011
     The Wide Open Whatever (WOW) Show; CORE New Art Space; Denver, CO; 2011
     Midwest National Abstract Exhibition VI; Garfield Park Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN; 2010
     COLOR-ado! Chautauqua Community House, Boulder, CO; 2010
     All Colorado Show 2010, Depot Art Center & Gallery, Littleton, CO
     The Artist's Choice; Lakewood Cultural Center; Lakewood, CO; 2010
     Wide Open Whatever (WOW) Show; CORE New Art Space; Denver, CO; 2010
     13th Annual "Lines into Shapes" National Art Show; Art Center of Estes Park; Estes Park, CO; 2010
     All Colorado Show 2009; Depot Art Center & Gallery; Littleton, CO
     From the Garden; LAC Community Art Center & Gallery; Lakewood, CO; 2009
     The Artist's Choice;  Lakewood Cultural Center; Lakewood, CO   2009
     Vistas Lakewood Arts Council; LAC Community Art Center & Gallery; Lakewood, CO;  2009
     Westminster Faire Art Show, Westminster, CO; 2008
     Art of the Absurd; Ec-Lec-Tic Contemporary Art Experiments; Denver, CO
     Portraits, 'Scapes & Still Lifes; Ec-Lec-Tic Art - Contemporary Art Experiments; Denver, CO
     Women Artists Only;  Ec-Lec-Tic Contemporary Art Experiments; Denver, CO
     11th Annual Oklahoma Artist's Workshop Juried Show; Tulsa, OK
     Blue Valley & the Arts Home Tour & Fine Arts Show; Leawood, KS

PUBLICATIONS
     Cover art -  "Disenchanted" featured on cover of "This is My Body: Women of Color Reclaiming Narratives of Self and Body"; Published by
          Nomadic Press; October 2019
     Acrylic Artist Magazine Winter 2016; Feature artist article "Flower Power"; Pgs 34 - 41
     Acrylic Artist Magazine Winter 2016; "Painter's Palette / Conn Ryder"; Pg 112

AWARDS/HONORS/RECOGNITION
     Finalist Award Recipient  for "Firing on All Cylinders" - Shades of Red 2023 International Exhibition; Camelback Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
     "Full Tilt" on loan to the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan during the post of Ambassador Lesslie Viguerie; U.S. Art in Embassies program.
     Bronze Award Recipient  for "Head Over Heels" - All Abstracts 2022 International Exhibition; Camelback Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
     Two paintings were featured in a home renovation reveal on an episode of the DIY Network show "Bargain Mansions," November, 2017.
     Collector's Choice: Conn Ryder - KIRSTEINFINEART blog;
     Featured Artist - Artsy Shark; Dec. 28, 2015;
     Artist Spotlight - City of Brighton Eye for Art Program for the week of Nov. 9, 2015; Denver Post Hub article.
       Featured Artist - ArtFoodHome.com art blog; Sept. 11, 2015;
     Featured Artist - "Abstract Art. Daily Artsy Paintings" on The Artsy Forager; Sept. 2, 2015.
     Featured Artist - Transform the World Artistically art blog; May 2, 2014; 
     Featured Artist of the Month - Denver Artists.com; April 2013;
     First Place Award Watermedia category - 11th Annual Lone Tree Art Exhibition; Lone Tree Arts Center, Lone Tree, CO;  October 2012
     Featured Artist -  American Talent Magazine, December 2011 Online Edition
     Featured Artist - Denver Talent Magazine, November 2011 Online Edition;
     Merit Award - The Artists Choice 2010; The Lakewood Cultural Center; Lakewood, CO
     Merit Award - The Artists Choice 2009; The Lakewood Cultural Center; Lakewood, CO
     Merit Award - Westminster Art Show; Westminster, CO; 2008

SELECT CORPORATE CLIENTS & PRIVATE COLLECTORS
     Affiliates Management Company / Iowa Credit Union League; Des Moines, IA
     Colorado Legislative Strategies; Denver, CO
     Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka; Topeka, KS
     First National Bank of Sioux Falls; Sioux Falls, SD
     Gaylord Rockies Hotel; Aurora, CO
     Gaylord Palms Resort; Kissimmee, FL
     Mercy Comfort Health Center for Women; Clive, IA
     Mercy Medical Center; Des Moines, IA
     Northwestern Mutual; Des Moines, IA
     Platte Valley Medical Center; Brighton, CO
     Prairie Meadows Hotel/Casino/Race Track/Events Center; Altoona, IA
     R & R Realty -- Westfield Campus; West Des Moines, IA
     Dr. & Mrs. Shawn Caldwell;  Wheat Ridge, CO
     Don & Linda Childears;  Denver, CO
     Melanie & Kent Layton;  Conifer, CO
     Ms. Carol Mendenhall;  Leawood, KS
     Ms. Tawny Peyton, Buena Vista, CO
     Chad & Garin Vorthmann; Lone Tree, CO
   
EDUCATION
    Kansas City Art Institute, 1989-90
     Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, 1975-77
     Johnson County Community College, 1986-88
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artist statement

I paint from the gut. For me, abstract painting is a personal exploration through which I transform my emotional realm into a perceptible domain. My expressive work is brought forth from internally assimilating, then outwardly fashioning the emotional response to the experiences, observations and backdrop of my life.

I convey that emotional essence to an observable platform by way of a painter’s lexicon - color, form, space, texture, line, movement - and finesse those elements much like seeking the right piece to complete a puzzle. As I begin to cover a canvas with arbitrary paint strokes, an exchange of sorts unfolds, as I get immersed in a rhythmic blur of advance and retreat, flow and stagnation, defiance and submission, discord and collaboration. I search for that moment of sensing synchronicity between how I feel and what has been revealed on the canvas.

A visible fusion of the emotive exchange materializes and I realize the canvas was an analyst, a mentor, a gadfly, a cohort - and ultimately a mirror to my emotional nature. My hope is that if I’ve created a painting that feels authentic and impactful for myself, that someone else may recognize some hint of their own emotional nature in the work and that it may touch them in the same way that a particular song can reach deep or a moment in nature can feel harmonious.

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