Georgetown Painter Annemarie Ryan Featured at Art Basel Miami
By • December 7, 2022 0 1557
Malcolm Gladwell gave life to the widely accepted phenomenon that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at anything. Annemarie Ryan is almost there, clocking in roughly 7,000 hours of painting. Most esteemed artists work at their craft over decades, their talents backed by prestigious degrees from the handful of elite art institutions. As a self-taught artist, however, Ryan defies this notion and has dedicated her life over the last 3 and a-half years to studying and creating art. And she’s gotten world-wide recognition for her vibrant, eclectic abstract work. On November 30, Ryan’s masterpiece “Sun, Beach, Water, & Sky” was previewed at Art Basel in Miami – one of the top art shows in the world.
Annemarie Ryan was born into a large family of eight children in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Some of her earliest memories creating art are the cartoon sketches she would draw of her parents attempting to manage chaos at the dinner table. Ryan grew up drawing and painting but decided to pursue a career in national politics to make a living. She would not revisit art until recently yet has now become a sensation.
Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markova, Georgetown artist Annemarie Ryan, who donated artwork to Ukraine House, and CAG President Tara Sakraida Parker. Courtesy CAG.
In just a few years, Ryan has completed over 300 paintings and gotten the attention of many high-profile institutions and art collectors. One of her first major events was a spot at the Van Der Plas Gallery in Lower Manhattan where she was invited to show her work as part of an exhibition called “A Changing Landscape: The Female Eye.” Her painting “Unfinished Conversations” was featured as a tribute to her late mother who unexpectedly died when Ryan was in her twenties. Although Ryan’s paintings are sometimes an expression of grief and loss, they burst off the canvas with bright colors and intricate lines and shapes.
Through showcasing her work on Instagram, Ryan caught the eye of revered artist and collector J. Stephen Manolis, founder of Manolis Projects Gallery, home to some of the most renowned artists, including the late Wolfe Kahn and Hunt Slonem. Ryan soon after joined the gallery and Manolis serves as a mentor and source of inspiration as she pursues her passion. Although Ryan has experienced a quick rise through the ranks, it has not come without a lot of practice and very unglamourous hard work. As Manolis puts it, “talent without hard work is not good enough,” something Ryan has surely proven in establishing her bold, yet graceful presence in the art world.
This past week, Annemarie Ryan achieved one of her biggest life goals: to be featured at Art Basel in Miami, a world-class art event attracting the best artists and collectors from around the globe. “It’s an honor to participate and a pinnacle to reach for every artist,” Ryan told The Georgetowner. For some, Art Basel may be the height of their career but for Ryan, it’s only the beginning as she hopes to grow her presence as an artist, share her work with the world, and enjoy this new chapter of her life.
