Ryan Henry Ward
Encyclopedia
Ryan Henry Ward, who signs his work simply as Henry, is an American
artist who has been described as "Seattle's most prolific muralist". Publicly active as an artist only since 2008, by September 2011 he had painted over 120 murals in that city and, by his own count, sold over 2000 canvases.
Born in Montana
, Ward grew up mainly in Enumclaw, Washington
and attended Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies
at Western Washington University
, where he constructed a degree program that mixed writing, art, and storytelling for children. After college, he remained in Bellingham, Washington
as a social worker, increasingly working with art therapy
. After his older brother and roommate Brandon died of heart failure at the age of 25, Ward and his younger brother Andy traveled in India
, Nepal
, and Thailand
.
By 2005, Ward was "burned out" on social work. He and Andy spent two very economically successful years as landscapers. In early 2007, however, Ward had an ATV
accident in Moses Lake, Washington
, which did damage to his spine from which he still has not fully recovered as of 2011. Following that accident, psychological effects of self-medication with pain-killers led to a suicide attempt in October 2008, followed by a brief period of institutionalization. Shortly after that, he decided to paint full time.
As of 2011, Ward maintains a studio in Seattle's Ballard
neighborhood, and lives in a small bus. In contrast to many other artists in Seattle's "street artist" scene, Ward always executes his public pieces with the permission of the property owner.
Ward's work has not received a generally favorable reception from Seattle's art critics. Jonathan Walczak characterizes Ward's work as "whimsical", but sums up the critic's verdict on Ward's work as "gooey, meaningless, and annoyingly prevalent." Former Seattle Post-Intelligencer
critic Regina Hackett disparaged his "brain-dead cheer". Kevin McKouen, a former gallery owner who represented Ward's work for about a year before his gallery closed, describes it as "lighthearted… but it definitely also has a dark side."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist who has been described as "Seattle's most prolific muralist". Publicly active as an artist only since 2008, by September 2011 he had painted over 120 murals in that city and, by his own count, sold over 2000 canvases.
Born in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, Ward grew up mainly in Enumclaw, Washington
Enumclaw, Washington
Enumclaw is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,669 at the 2010 census.The Enumclaw Plateau, on which the city resides, was formed by a volcanic mudflow from Mount Rainier approximately 5,700 years ago....
and attended Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies
Fairhaven College
Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies is an interdisciplinary liberal arts college at Western Washington University. Instead of completing the general education requirements at Western, students take interdisciplinary classes at Fairhaven which aim to cover the same breadth and depth of...
at Western Washington University
Western Washington University
Western Washington University is one of six state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham and offers bachelor's and master's degrees.-History:...
, where he constructed a degree program that mixed writing, art, and storytelling for children. After college, he remained in Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
as a social worker, increasingly working with art therapy
Art therapy
Because of its dual origins in art and psychotherapy, art therapy definitions vary. They commonly either lean more toward the ART art-making process as therapeutic in and of itself, "art as therapy," or focus on the psychotherapeutic transference process between the therapist and the client who...
. After his older brother and roommate Brandon died of heart failure at the age of 25, Ward and his younger brother Andy traveled in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
By 2005, Ward was "burned out" on social work. He and Andy spent two very economically successful years as landscapers. In early 2007, however, Ward had an ATV
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
accident in Moses Lake, Washington
Moses Lake, Washington
Moses Lake is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 20,366 as of the 2010 census. Moses Lake is the largest city in Grant County.-Background:...
, which did damage to his spine from which he still has not fully recovered as of 2011. Following that accident, psychological effects of self-medication with pain-killers led to a suicide attempt in October 2008, followed by a brief period of institutionalization. Shortly after that, he decided to paint full time.
As of 2011, Ward maintains a studio in Seattle's Ballard
Ballard, Seattle
Ballard is a neighborhood located in the northwestern part of Seattle, Washington. To the north it is bounded by Crown Hill, ; to the east by Greenwood, Phinney Ridge and Fremont ; to the south by the Lake Washington Ship Canal; and to the west by Puget Sound’s Shilshole Bay. The neighborhood’s...
neighborhood, and lives in a small bus. In contrast to many other artists in Seattle's "street artist" scene, Ward always executes his public pieces with the permission of the property owner.
Ward's work has not received a generally favorable reception from Seattle's art critics. Jonathan Walczak characterizes Ward's work as "whimsical", but sums up the critic's verdict on Ward's work as "gooey, meaningless, and annoyingly prevalent." Former Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
critic Regina Hackett disparaged his "brain-dead cheer". Kevin McKouen, a former gallery owner who represented Ward's work for about a year before his gallery closed, describes it as "lighthearted… but it definitely also has a dark side."