Hi, my name is Ryan. I am an illustrator, author, and regular participant in a dance class for geriatric millennials.
I develop and seek out projects that aim to enhance people’s ability to navigate the world with authenticity, dignity and safety.
In particular, I am committed to representing everyday rituals and legacies within the LGBTQ+ community. I use my artistic practice to articulate connections between the past and present, and the personal and political. I do this to better understand my own life within a larger historical context, and to create accessible content that validates others on their own, related journeys.
Outside of this work, you can find me queening out and reclaiming my love of dance in a class called “Dance Like the Hot B*tch You Always Knew You Were” at Good Move studio in Brooklyn. The vibes are immaculate, our moves are not, and that’s the point.
Reach out if you have a project you’d like to discuss, or want to chat about music video choreography from the late 90’s or early aughts. Preferably both! r.hartley.smith@gmail.com.
Honors
Society of Illustrators Gold and Silver Medals | Norman Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies Fellowship | BRIC Media Arts Fellowship | Groundswell Community Mural Project Fellowship
Selected ClientsAmeriCorps Public Allies, APICS Magazine, Borscht Film Festival, Brooklyn Community Pride Center, BuzzFeed, Center for Urban Pedagogy, The Delaware Art Museum, EMPAC Arts, I'm From Driftwood LGBT Archives, Hermes of Paris, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, Juilliard Music and Technology Center, National YoungArts Foundation, NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs, NYC Dept of Transportation Art Program, NYC Independent Budget Office, Sid Lee Creative Agency, The Southern Poverty Law Center, UpWorthy, The Washington Post
Associate Professor, SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology MFA Illustration