I’m a native New Yorker living and working for many years in the silvery light and rich artistic heritage of the Netherlands. In 2002 I was granted residency status based on my importance to the culture of The Netherlands. In 2021 I became a Dutch citizen.

My working day begins early with yoga and a long walking meditation.
With my mind and body united and focussed in the moment I’m prepared to express myself creatively back in the studio.
Emails, news, internet is for later, after I’ve painted all morning.
My subjects are found at home and close to home as well as in my travels.
In my connection with the world before me.
There is beauty everywhere when the mind is still and the senses fully open.
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Resume

Education

1977 – 80 – Art Students League of New York, New York City, NY
1976 – 77 – National Academy of Fine Arts, New York City, NY
1973 – 75 – Memphis Academy of Art, Memphis, TN
1971 – St. Thomas Aquinas College, Sparkhill, NY

Solo exhibitions

  • 1982 – Gallery de Stouwe St. Maartensdijk, The Netherlands
  • 1984 – Kunsthandel Borzo, ‘s Hertogenbosch
  • 1986 – Gallery Lenten, The Netherlands
  • 1987 – Kunsthandel Borzo, ‘s Hertogenbosch
  • 1988 – Gallery den Breems, Westport, CT
  • 1989 – Montgomery Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 1989 – Kunsthandel Borzo, ‘s Hertogenbosch
  • 1994 – Museum Markiezenhof
  • 1995 – Kunsthandel Borzo, ‘s Hertogenbosch
  • 1998 – Dillon Gallery, New York, NY
  • 1999 – Dillon Gallery, New York, NY
  • 2000 – Kunsthandel Borzo, ‘s Hertogenbosch
  • 2004 – ING Bank, Geneva Switzerland-Overview Exhibition
  • 2004 – Kunsthandel Borzo, ‘s Hertogenbosch
  • 2007 – Borzo modern & contemporary art, Amsterdam
  • 2007 – Dillon Gallery, New York, NY
  • 2008 – Open Atelier/Borzo Gallery
  • 2009 – Open Atelier/Borzo Gallery
  • 2010 – Borzo modern & contemporary art, Amsterda
  • 2010 – Architectenbureau Jowa, Amsterdam
  • 2010 – Kunstgalerie Geinhoeve, Broek in Waterland
  • 2014 – Borzo Modern and Contemporary Art, Amsterdam
  • 2016 – Art Traverse  De Bilt, The Netherlands
  • 2022 – Galerie de Twee Pauwen, The Hague

Museum exhibitions

  • 2012 – Artist in Residence, Zuider Zee Museum, Enkhuizen
  • 2012 – ‘De kleur van water’ (The color of water) Zuiderzee Museum, Enkhuizen, The Netherlands
  • 2007 – Zeeuws Maritiem Museum, Vlissingen ‘Vrouwen aan de Wal’
  • 2001 – Stadsmuseum, Woerden ‘8 artists from the ING Collection’, The Netherlands
  • 1999 – Museum Henriette Polak, ‘De ING Collectie’, The Netherlands
  • 1996 – Veluws Museum, ‘Zicht Op de Winter’, Harderwijk, The Netherlands
  • 1996 – Pushkin Museum, ‘Selection of Paintings from Dutch Collections’ Moscow, Russia
  • 1995 – Warsaw Museum of Modern Art, ‘Stichting Lichteffecten in Schilderkunst en Sculptuur’ (Foundation for Light in Painting and Sculpture) Warsaw, Poland
  • 1994 – Markiezenhof Museum. Retrospective premiering ‘Michael Ryan: Between Living and Dreaming, 1982-1994’. Bergen-op-Zoom, The Netherlands
  • 1992 – Markiezenhof Museum. ‘Uit de Kunst van de Bank’ (Selections from the ING Bank Collection), Bergen-op-Zoom, The Netherlands

Group exhibitions

  • 2015 – Art Breda  Breda, The Netherlands
  • 2015 – Realisme Beurs  Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • 2013 – Realisme Beurs, Amsterdam
  • 2013 – Art 2013/Jaarbeurs Utrecht  Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • 2013 – ‘Op Reis’ Galerie De Ploegh, Soest, The Netherlands
  • 2012 – Art Fair Lille Grand Palais, Lille, France
  • 2012 – ‘Vierkant de Ploegh’ Galerie De Ploegh, Soest, The Netherlands
  • 2011 – Art Miami, Miami, Florida USA
  • 2009 – TEFAF (The European Fine Arts Fair) Maastricht/Borzo, The Netherlands
  • 2006 – ‘Van Land tot Water’ (From Land to Water) Selection from the ING Collection, Kasteel Groeneveld, Baarn, The Netherlands
  • 2006 – Kunstrai (Amsterdam Fine Arts Fair) Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • 2006 – TEFAF Maastricht/Borzo, The Netherlands
  • 2005 – ‘Kunst van het Uitgaan’, (The Art of Nightlife) Galerie Vruggink, The Netherlands
  • 2005 – Kunstrai (Amsterdam Fine Arts Fair) Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • 2004 – Foire International d’Art Contemporain (Fiac)/Borzo, Grand Palais, Paris, France
  • 2004 – TEFAF Maastricht/Borzo, The Netherlands
  • 2004 – ‘Realisme ’04 Amsterdam’, The Netherlands
  • 2001 – ‘Bekende Gezichten’, (Famous Faces) Galerie Vruggink, Zutphen, The Netherlands
  • 1999 – ‘Fifth Annual Invitational Exhibition’, Dillon Gallery, New York
  • 1998 – ‘Summer Group Exhibition’, Dillon Gallery, New York
  • 1998 – ‘ Michael Ryan & Paul Butti’, two-person exhibition, Borzo, ‘s-Hertogenbosch
  • 1996 – Kunst RAI, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • 1996 – Foire International d’Art Contemporain (FIAC), Grand Pa;ais, Paris, France
  • 1995 – TEFAF Maastricht/Borzo, The Netherlands
  • 1995 – ‘Annual group exhibition’, Elena Zang Gallery, Woodstock, New York
  • 1993 – ‘Uit de Kunst van de Bank’, An exhibition from the collection of the ING Bank Museum Markiezenhof, Bergen-Op-Zoom, The Netherlands
  • 1992 – ‘Spirituality in Art: Contemporary art exhibition expressing modern views of spirituality’. Eurohal, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  • 1992 – ‘California Vistas: An exhibition of 19th and 20th century historical and contemporary landscape art’, Syntex Gallery, Palo Alto, California
  • 1991 – ‘The Landscape in Pastel: Five artists interpret the modern landscape in pastel’, Gallery 30, San Francisco, California
  • 1988 – ‘Kunst en Zaken (Art and Business): Exhibition of corporate art collections in The Netherlands’, Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • 1988 – ‘Introductions: An exhibition highlighting the art of four European artists’, Montgomery Gallery, San Francisco, California
  • 1988 – ‘Art at the Armory: International exhibition commemorating the 75th anniversary of the 1913 Armory show’, New York City, New York
  • 1985 – Winter Exhibition, Kunsthandel Borzo, ‘s Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

Corporate/Museum Collections

  • Drents Museum
  • Koninklijke Philips Electronics
  • Douwe Egberts
  • Monuta
  • Heineken
  • Bell & Howell
  • Sara Lee Corporation/DE
  • ING Group
  • ING Bank (Ongeveer 140 werken in de collectie)
  • Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
  • ABN Amro Bank
  • Erly Industries
  • Wolters Kluwer Group
  • Rouws & Ceulen
  • Ekelmans & Meijer
  • Stadsschouwburg, Amsterdam
  • Concertgebouw, Amsterdam

Publications

  • Re: Society-40 years of ING engaging with the Arts. Frame Publishers, Amsterdam 2010
  • Moderne kunst durft te breken met conventies, Galerie-EigenHuis & Interior, March 2008
  • Ali Pankow ‘Vrouwen aan de wal…’ Zeeuwse Courant, 15 Nov. 2007
  • Michael Ryan-Inner Settings, Waanders Drukkers, Zwolle, Nov. 2006
  • Ellen Leijser ‘Van de Bank’, Residence, September 2006
  • Art in the Office ING art collection. Waanders Uitgeverij, Zwolle 2006
  • Arjen Ribbens ‘Een Geoliede Kunstmachine’, ‘M’ magazine, NRC Handelsblad March 2005
  • Mark van de Voort, ‘Nature as Muse and Meditation’, Brabants Dagblad, May 18, 2004
  • ‘www. dillongallery.com’ Dillon Gallery Press 2000
  • The ING Collection-a selection, Salto NV Printing & Lithography, 1998
  • Between Living and Dreaming, Michael Ryan 1982-1994, Waanders Drukkers , Zwolle 1995
  • Nicolette J. Brink, ‘Michael Ryan’s Night Lights’, Tableau Fine Arts Magazine, vol. 17, no. 4., February, 1995
  • Dirk Vellenga, ‘The Bank, the Benefactors, and Worship in the Markiezenhof “The Dutch Fairy Tale of Michael Ryan”, De Stem, December 9, 1994.
  • Mildred Barker, ‘Accord, NY painter uses dreams to sketch reality’, Kinston Freeman, February 19, 1990.
  • Anja Frenkel, “Tableau Select,” Tableau Fine Arts Magazine: vol. 12, no. 2, November 1989.
  • Kunst Zaken, (Art & Business) Catalogus, SDU Publishers, The Hague, 1988.
  • The Art of Banking. The art collection of the NMB Bank, published by the NMB Bank & the Enterprise and Art Foundation, 1990
  • Michael Ryan’s paintings on view in Westport Connecticut, Antiques and Art Weekly, August 12, 1988.
  • Carol J. Everingham, ‘Michael Ryan: Expatriate Artist’, The Advocate and Greenwich Times, September 11, 1988
  • Nicole Hermans, ‘Corporations Choose for Themselves from Their Collections’, Artwork Journal: no. 4 1988
  • Ferd op de Coul, ‘Michael Ryan’s Fiery Pallette’, Brabants Dagblad, October 3, 1987
  • Joh. M. Pameijer, ‘Fantastic American Michael Ryan’, NRC Handelsblad, April 14, 1987
  • Jan Juffermans, ‘Michael Ryan’, Elsevier Magazine, November 24, 1984 Stan Huygens, ‘Artist with Sponsor’
  • Stan Huygens Journal, ‘Artist with Sponsor’, The Telegraaf, March 1982.

Commissions

  • 2010 – Portrait of Bert Luppes (recipient Louis d’Or 2009) for the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam
  • 2003 – Four paintings commissioned for the Cunard Lines cruiseship ‘The Queen Mary II’
  • 2002 – Monuta, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, Five canvases ( 200×150 cm ) for the atrium of their new corporate headquarters.
  • 2000 – Three paintings commissioned for the Holland America Lines cruiseship ‘The SS Amsterdam’
  • 1998 – Philips Corporation, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Painting ‘Evening Hymn’ commissioned for the Board of Directors room.
  • 1992 – ING Bank, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Two large canvases commissioned for the banks Foreign Exchange Building. ‘Café Americain night’ and ‘Café Americain day’

Awards and Honors

  • Jane Peterson Still Life Award, Hudson Valley Art Association, White Plains, New York, 1980
  • Dumond Memorial Prize, Salamagundi Club, New York City, 1976
  • Midterm Prize, Suydam Bronze Medal, National Academy of Design, New York City, 1976

Download my resume here (pdf)