Sally Ryan

Who was Sally Ryan?

Sarah Tack "Sally" Ryan was an American artist and sculptor best known for portrait style pieces and her association with the Garman Ryan Collection. Sally Ryan was born in 1916, and was the granddaughter of Thomas Fortune Ryan, a successful Irish-American entrepreneur. Fortune Ryan had commissioned a portrait bust of himself by Rodin, now in the Tate collection in London. Sally Ryan's artistic career began in Canada in 1933, where she exhibited her first sculpture at the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in Toronto. The following year she went on to study with the sculptor Jean Camus in Paris, where she achieved an 'honourable mention' at the annual Salon. She exhibited work at The Royal Academy of Arts in London in 1935. Ryan was an associate of poet Ralph Gustafson and sculptor Jacob Epstein. She was highly influenced by the latter's style.

Along with other members of her family Sally Ryan received a large inheritance from her grandfather; much of her personal wealth was used to collect art works with her friend Kathleen Garman.

A number of her works are in the public collection of The New Art Gallery Walsall.

Ryan died of cancer of the throat in 1968.