Artist Talk with Weldon Ryan

Black Art, Artists, & History Speaker Series

Join us for an evening Artist Talk with painter, photographer and sculptor Weldon Ryan.

With contemporary realism influenced by the exuberant excesses of the Carnival season, this Caribbean-born artist uses texture, color, and realistic rendering of the subject to create a unique interpretation of the world around him.

EVENT DETAILS

Artist Talk with Weldon Ryan

Thursday, April 28, 2022  |  5 – 7 p.m.

Museum of Art – DeLand

600 N. Woodland Blvd. DeLand, Florida 32720

Reception begins at 5 p.m.

Artist Talk begins at 5:30 p.m.

This presentation is part of a series exploring Black art, artists, and history in collaboration with the Festival of the Arts – DeLand.

Admission is free, but RSVPs are required due to limited seating. 

Call (386) 734-4371 to reserve your space. We thank our guests for continuing to wear masks on behalf of our staff and visitors.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Born in 1962 in The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, home of Carnival and the Steel Drum; Weldon Ryan came to the United States at the age of six. He grew up in the Bronx where he spent his childhood. With his mother’s encouragement he pursued an art education, attending The High School of Art and Design in 1977, 1981 the State University of New York at New Paltz, and then Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. He had a short stent at The Art Students League of New York as well. When paste-­‐up and mechanical and marker comps jobs slowed in 1987 he worked as an Urban Park Ranger for the NYC Parks Department, where he created murals for the Pelham Bay Environmental Nature Center. Two years later Weldon joined the NYPD. Weldon Ryan is the first African American to be appointed to the New York City Police Department Composite Artist Unit.

At the same time he served as one of NYC finest, Weldon painted vigorously in his studio in the D.U.M.B.O art district in Brooklyn. Several of his commercial illustrations graced the cover and pages of magazines. After 18 years of service and solving numerous crimes with his drawing skills he retired from the NYPD on December 1, 2004 and relocated with his family to Palm Coast, Florida.

Committed to serving his community for several years Weldon coached youth football, served on the PAL executive board, and even started a team in Bunnell, an underserved area in Flagler County. In 2010 he served as the president of the Flagler County Art League. In 2011 he earned the honor of the Gargiulo Art Foundation Flagler County’s Artist of the Year. In 2012 Weldon and his wife, Richlin curated art shows at the PAC gallery at Bethune-­‐Cookman University. And in 2013 they were instrumental in setting up the gallery system, and curated art shows at the Yvonne Scarlett Golden Cultural and Educational Center.

Weldon Ryan’s art is an “interfuse” of many techniques. He uses texture, color, and realistic rendering of the subject to create a unique interpretation of the world around him. He has the ability to master any medium he chooses, be it oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels, digital illustration, photography, or chavant clay. He uses the old masters’ techniques to create masterpieces.
His art has found a home in Palm Coast. Presently he studio at the Calypso Fine Art Gallery. and is exhibited in numerous venues through out the state of Florida.

Learn more about Weldon Ryan and his work at: www.weldonryan.com

Image: Weldon Ryan, BLM: Miami Carnival, 2016, Oil on canvas, 60”x48”