BRANCHING OUT By Stacey Marcus
A PASSION FOR NATURE FUELS RYAN KELLEY’S INTRICATE WIRE ART.
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culptor Ryan Kelley smiles wryly when reminiscing about his high school experience. “I failed junior year English and had zero interest in reading The Catcher in the Rye,” he admits. He credits his art teacher, Robyn Verrette, with inspiring him to “mess around with wire.” Little did he know that twisting metal during study hall to create a diminutive deer would light the spark of a professional art career. Since launching his business, Wire by Ryan, a decade ago, 28-year-old Kelley has created over 600 pieces of art and used 60 miles of wire. His creations—a tree topping a found stone commemorating a couple’s honeymoon, a sapling for someone overcoming an illness—have found their way into collections around the world. He’s also introduced thousands of students to the art of working with wire—and more importantly to the concept of doing what you love.
Resilient II Steel wire on stone Photo by Alex Iby
11/10/21 7:26 AM
