OPEN HIVE / Art – Ryan Cronin Reception

Meet Hudson Valley artist Ryan Cronin and view his pop-inspired art on the walls of BEAHIVE.

And since it’s the holiday season and all, we’ll have available for purchase selections from a new line of wares featuring his iconic imagery.

And (!) we’re going to collaborate with our neighbors Nixie Sparrow during their “Handmade Holiday Sale,” opening the door between our spaces and letting the holiday love flow.

They’ll have a variety of handmade gift items and DIY wreath decorating.

DJ Bumdraw will spin from 7 – 10 PM!

“What interests me is using color to steer the eye across the plane.
I present the subject, but the meaning is not dictated, that is left to the viewer.”
— Ryan Cronin

Ryan Cronin was born on June 21, 1972 on the front seat of a late 60s Plymouth station wagon. It was a fitting beginning for this bold artist.

Growing up in the 1980s in Northern Westchester, NY, Cronin was surrounded by and embraced pop culture. The bright colors and sounds of punk rock, skateboarding, MTV, and the youthful, push-it-to-the-limit attitude of the time, became an integral part of who he is today.

Throughout his adolescence, Cronin was a risk taker, often pushing the envelope. Sports and art were the two anchors that kept him in line. On his sixteenth birthday, his parents handed him a Minolta x700 and he began documenting the world around him. These years instilled a deep sense of framing and placement that is a fundamental part of his work today.

Cronin’s college career began with a quick stint at Rhode Island School of Photography. From there he transferred to the School of Visual of Arts. While at SVA, a childhood friend at nearby Cooper Union urged him to pick up a paintbrush, opening a whole new world to him.

In the summer of 1991 he decided to take a break from higher education and move to Boulder, CO to nurture the free spirit inside. By the spring of 1992, he returned East and enrolled at SUNY New Paltz where he switched from a Photo Major to a Fine Arts Painting Major. In 1998 he graduated with his BFA

For the past 20+ years Ryan and his spouse/business partner Melanie have been working together to bring his art to galleries, museums, and art fairs around the country. In May of 2015, they took a leap of faith and opened a gallery showcasing Ryan’s original works and a line of wares featuring his iconic imagery in their hometown of New Paltz. The gallery is open daily from 11am- 6pm and is located in the Water Street Market.