Ryan was born and raised in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She spent her formative years surrounded by nature and became fascinated with learning to make art out of clay. After discovering the joy of gifting what she had made to family, she fell in love with making for others and hasn’t stopped since. After going to school for ceramics, Ryan tried out a hot glass class and quickly became infatuated with the immediacy and mercurial nature of the molten material. She received a BFA in Crafts/Material Studies with a focus in glass from VCUarts in 2006.
Determined to broaden her glass horizons, Ryan moved cross country to Seattle, WA, a major epicenter in the glass-working community. She happily immersed herself in the wonderful world of studio glass by learning from and assisting some of her glass heroes and continuing her glass education. She learned the ins and outs of production glassblowing, increased her knowledge of the real life applications of the craft, and worked as a Production Manager for several years.
In 2010, Ryan started traveling the world blowing glass for entertainment and sharing her love of the material with guests on Celebrity Cruises with the Blow Glass at Sea chapter of the Corning Museum of Glass. Ryan greatly enjoyed showcasing the endless possibilities inherent to glass in its molten state to the international audiences present on the cruises. She had a source of endless inspiration for her glass creations in her oceanic surroundings and the many countries and cultures she was lucky enough to experience. After six years as a glassblowing sailor Ryan turned in her fins and settled in Corning, NY for several more years. She continued to represent the Corning Museum of Glass and raised awareness of the wonderful world of glass. In the crazy summer of 2020, she embarked on a new journey of self discovery and renewal in Austin and is currently a full time maker.