contact AT ryanwoodring DOT com
Ryan Woodring (he/they) is compelled by his body’s furtive miscalibration to use digital technologies endemic to medical imaging and visual effects to push up against the limits of visual representation in order to find sustained agency for unpredictable modes of being wrought by invisible illness. His work draws from a decade of industry experience helping to realize award-winning projects such as House of Cards and The Boxtrolls. Woodring earned his MFA from Rutgers University and is currently Assistant Professor of Digital Studies at Drew University. He co-founded Prequel Low-Residency in Portland, Oregon and is a founding member of Blockbusters Media Collective. Woodring has exhibited and spoken internationally in various contexts such as Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts, The International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago, and the Portland Biennial, receiving project support from the The Andy Warhol Foundation, Regional Arts & Culture Council of Oregon, Institute of Network Cultures, and others. His work has been included in publications such as Hyperallergic, Interview Magazine, and Redefine Magazine. His peer-reviewed essay “Visual Arts Practices For Invisible Illnesses: An Expanded Autoethnography On Rendering And Reingesting Affliction” was recently published in a special edition of Special Issue of the International Journal of Education and the Arts. Woodring lives and naps in Queens, NY.
EDUCATION
- MFA Art (Interdisciplinary). Mason Gross School of Art + Design, Rutgers University. 2020
- BFA Art (Electronic and Time-Based). Carnegie Mellon University, 2010
- BA. French and Francophone Studies, 2010
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS + SCREENINGS
2024
- spot healing selected screenings:
- Burano Artificial Intelligence Film Festival. Official Selection. Burano, IT
- art+film+vienna. Official Selection. Vienna, AT.
- West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival. Morgantown, WV. World Premiere. Winner, Best AI Work
- New Monuments Conference institut national de l’art. Paris, FR. Curated by Martyna Majewska
2023
- this generation. Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts. Panaji, IN. Curated by Srinivas Mangipudi
- Baggage Claim. Staffordshire Street. London, UK. Curated by Georgia Stephenson and Rosalind Wilson
- GUI/GOOEY Virtual Exhibition. Plexus Projects. Curated by Laura Splan
2022
- Today and Possibly Tomorrow (solo). International Museum of Surgical Science. Chicago, IL
- Work. Korn Gallery at Drew University. Madison, NJ
2020
- In the Pull of the Future Hosted by EFA Project Space. NYC, NY
- Devil in the Details. Mason Gross Gallery. Rutgers MFA Thesis Exhibition. New Brunswick, NJ
- Future Timelike Infinity. Carnation Contemporary. Portland, OR
- Present and Unaccounted For (Screening). Vrij Paleis. Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Deflated. Special Project with Fourteen30 Contemporary. Portland, OR
2019
- Video Vortex XII Exhibition. Spazju Kreattiv. Valletta, Malta
- Like a Day. 21 Ludlow. New York, NY
2018
- Just Honey. Mason Gross Gallery. Rutgers First Year MFA Exhibition. New Brunswick, NJ
- Unlimited Unveil (solo) Virtual Reality Presentation. Invisible Thread. Portland, OR
- Paul Artspace: 5 Years. Gallery 210 at University of Missouri, St. Louis, MO
- Aftermath. Weitman Gallery at Washington University, St. Louis, MO. Curated by David Johnson
- Simple Moves. Portland Community College Rock Creek. Portland, OR. Curated by Prudence Fenwick and Ben Buswell
- Unveiling World Tour (solo) Western Oregon University. Monmouth, OR
2017
- Iconoclastic. Cooley Gallery. Reed College. Portland, OR. Curated by Stephanie Snyder and William Diebold
2016
- Portland Biennial (multiple venues). Curated by Michelle Grabner
- Non-Manifold. White Box Gallery. Portland, OR
- Demo Reels. The Exorcist. Liberty Theatre. La Grande, OR
- Disjecta. Portland, OR
- Organic Encounters. c3:initiative. Portland, OR
2015
- Decimate Mesh. Duplex Collective. Portland, OR. (solo)
- Over and Back. Surplus Space. Portland, OR. (curator) with guest curator Roz Crews. Including artists Terry Boyd, Carolyn Castaño, Gary Dauphin, Hand2Mouth Theatre and Greg Hayes
- Jaws Returns to the Water. Après Upfor Series at Upfor Gallery. Portland, OR
- Frozen Firework (video). Tailgate-Based Art Festival, Bronco Gallery. Portland, OR
- Electric Park. Cloud Gallery. Seattle, WA. (solo)
2013 and before
- Disambiguate. Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Kipp Gallery. Indiana, PA. Curated by Chris McGinnis
- (Re)Released. The Inn. Pittsburgh, PA (solo)
- Six x Ate. 937 Liberty Cultural Trust Gallery. Pittsburgh, PA. Curated by Casey Lee Droege
- 40th Anniversary Group Exhibition. Concept Gallery. Pittsburgh, PA
- Oxheart Group Show. Gowanus Ballroom. Brooklyn, NY
- Drying: Tsunami Youtube Prints. Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Pittsburgh, PA (solo)
- Soldiers as Travelers. The Gallery 4. Pittsburgh, PA (solo)
- Distillery 5 Group Show. Brew House. Pittsburgh, PA
- Cloud Crash. Caught Looking Festival. PNC Park. Pittsburgh, PA
- Children’s Museum Interactive Art Exhibition, Children’s Museum. Pittsburgh, PA.
TALKS
2024
- Classroom Visit invited by Bahareh Khoshooee. Pratt Institute. Brooklyn, NY
2023
- Virtual Classroom Visit invited by Amiko Li. Smith College. Northampton, MA
2022
- Chronic Uncertainty: Sweetening the Search Process in Self-Diagnosis. Art & Care. Online
- Panel Discussion: Art & Care Study Day. Cambridge Festival, Cambridge University. Online
- Virtual Classroom Visit invited by Yaloo Pop. School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL
- Virtual Classroom Visit invited by Ginger Krebs. School of the Art Institute in partnership with the International Museum of Surgical Science. Chicago, IL
- Virtual Classroom Visit invited by Freya Björg Olafson. University of Manitoba. Winnipeg, MB
2021
- Art + Health. Summer PHocus Experience, Rutgers University. New Brunswick, NJ.
2019
- Unveiling Placelessness. Video Vortex XII Festival. Valletta, Malta
- Unveiling Placelessness. Systems Conference. New York University Gallatin School. New York, NY
2017
- Artist Talk. Reed College. Portland, OR.
- Empty Magic and the Reappearing Arch Artist Talk. University of Missouri-St. Louis. St. Louis, MO
- Monuments class visit. Professor Jess Perlitz. Lewis & Clark. Portland, OR
2016
- Panel Discussion: Older than Yesterday’s News. International Sculpture Conference. Pittsburgh, PA
- Artist Talk. Spaceness Festival. Seaview, WA
- Art on the Job Discussion. Portland Northwest College of Art. Portland, OR
- Classroom Visit. Invited by Jess Perlitz. Lewis & Clark University. Portland, OR
CURATING
Drew University Korn Gallery. Madison, NJ
- Thoughts and Prayers from the Glowing Rectangle. Bahareh Khoshooee. 2024
- Grief Semiotics. Smita Sen. 2023
- candy-glazed eyes of haunted machines. Rosalie Yu. 2022
2018
- Stuck on the Ride. Claire Hentschker, Kristin Lucas, Erin Mallea, Ralph Pugay, and Yaloo Pop. Open Signal, Portland, OR.
FELLOWSHIPS/RESIDENCIES
2023
- Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts. Panaji, Goa. IN
2019
- Atlantic Center for the Arts. New Smyrna, FL
2017
- Paul Artspace. St. Louis, MO
- Playa Artist in Residence. Summer Lake, OR
- Signal Fire. Big Bend, TX
2016
- AR/VR Residency. Oregon Story Board/Upfor Gallery. Co-presented by Eyebeam. Porland, OR
- Caldera Artist in Residence. Sisters, OR
- Hollywood Theatre Artist in Residence at Sou’Wester Lodge. Seaview, WA
- c:3initiative Papermaking Residency at Pulp and Deckle. Portland, OR
2015 and earlier
- Young Audience’s Teaching Artist Studio. Portland, OR
- Flight School Professional Development Program, Pittsburgh. PA
- Brew House Distillery Program. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
AWARDS/GRANTS
2022
- Drew University Faculty Project Grant. Madison, NJ
2017
- Project Grant for As Time Goes By. Regional Arts & Culture Council. OR
- Project Grant for Prequel Artist Program. Arts & Culture Council. OR
- Nominee, Henry Gallery’s Brink Art Award. Seattle, WA
- Professional Development Grant. Regional Arts & Culture Council, OR
2016 and earlier
- Oregon Arts Commission Opportunity Grant. 2016
- Regional Arts and Culture Council Project Grant. 2015
- Precipice Fund Grant funded by The Warhol Foundation and Calligram/Allie Furlotti, administered through Portland Institute of Contemporary Art. 2014
- Nominee. Pittsburgh Center for the Art’s Emerging Artist of the Year, 2011
- Henry Luce Scholarship Finalist.2011
- Fifth Year Scholarship at Carnegie Mellon University. 2010
- Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship. Carnegie Mellon University. (2009)
- Pennsylvania Governors School for the Arts. Erie, PA. (2004)
TEACHING
- Assistant Professor of Digital Media. Drew University. Madison, NJ. 2022-Present
- Part Time Lecturer. Department of Transmedia, Syracuse University. Syracuse, NY. Fall 2020
- Part Time Lecturer. Mason Gross School of Art + Design, Rutgers University. New Brunswick, NJ. 2019-2020
- New Media Instructor. Make+Think+Code, Pacific Northwest College of Art. Portland, OR. 2018.
- Animation and Visual Effects Instructor. All Ages. Open Signal PDX. Portland, OR. 2017-2018
- Animation Instructor. Ages 7 to 14. Hollywood Theatre. Portland, OR. 2015
- Painting Instructor. Carnegie Mellon University Summer Art Program. Pittsburgh, PA. 2014
- French Assistant Teacher, Fulton Elementary School, Pittsburgh, PA. 2009
ARTS ORGANIZING & ADMIN
- Data Analyst and Community Outreach Coordinator, Playform.io. NYC, NY. 2019
- Media Area Co-Ad, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. 2019-2020
- Founding Director, Prequel Artist Program, Portland, OR. 2014-2018
- Associate Board Member. Young Audiences of Portland. OR. 2017
- Series Programmer for Future Forum at The Hollywood Theatre. 2016
- Program Assistant, Surplus Space, Portland. 2015
SELECT VISUAL EFFECTS + FILM PROJECTS
Feature films
- This Shaking Keeps Me Steady by Shehrezad Maher. 2018. Lead Compositor
- Missing Link by Laika. 2017. Look Development Artist
- Kubo & the Two Strings by Laika. 2016. Digital Paint Artist
- The Boxtrolls by Laika. 2014. Digital Paint Artist
- Now You See Me by Louis Leterrer. Compositor
- House of Cards Season 1 by David Fincher. 2013. Compositor
Shorts
- Nothing to do here but wait by Amiko Li. 2032. Visual Effects Supervisor
- If a Token Could Speak by Sophie Auger 2022. Lead Compositor
- HP Garage with Nebraska, Columbia and Syracuse Universities by Jongsma/O’Neill. 2021. Lead Compositor
- Treadmill by Stefan Dezil. 2018. Compositor
- Satellite by Asher Jelinsky and Robert Nachman. 2018. Visual Effects Supervisor
- Hill Dancers + Pinburgh by Doug Cooper. 2012. Lead Compositor
SELECT 3D MODELING PROJECTS
- Virtual Try-On Eyeglasses 3D Modeling for Luna.io. 2016-2021
- 3D Animation Consultation for Difference Machines Exhibition at Albright Knox for Rian Hammond. 2021.
- James Gallery at CUNY Grad Center Exhibition Proposal Rendering for Tali Keren. 2022
- High Line Proposal Rendering for Jeanine Oleson. 2020