Ryan Thompson
Assistant Professor of Art/Communication (2009)
BFA, Calvin College, 2003; MFA, University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign, 2009 Primary Faculty – Digital Media
Ryan
was born and raised in Chicago, IL where his parents dragged him to
the Museum of Contemporary Art and The Art Institute from a very
young age. He thanks them now for these trips and uses any excuse
he can find to seek out art – wherever the location. A recent
graduate of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
where he completed his M.F.A. in Studio Art, Ryan enjoyed
researching everything from crude oil futures to glacial erratic
boulders. Prior to studying at UIUC, Ryan received his B.F.A. in
Studio Art, from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. In his free
time, Ryan enjoys cooking and talking design with his wife Meagan
Luhrs, who is an artist and freelance designer. A few of his
favorite artists include: Ilana Halperin, Paul Pfeiffer, Trevor
Paglen, Joe Scanlan, and Natalie Jeremijenko.
Recent and upcoming projects include: “NEW INSIGHTS” at Art Chicago (curated by Susanne Ghez); “OTHER OPTIONS” at Eyebeam, New York; “Fieldwork,” ISpace, Chicago; “Public Things,” Galerie Analix Forever, Geneva, Switzerland; and “DIRT:LAND/USE” Links Hall, Chicago.
