Traditional & Digital Sculpture
Joyce Ryan – Designer, Educator, and Sculptor
Joyce Ryan is a visionary designer, educator, and sculptor whose career bridges the worlds of art, technology, and education. After earning her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, she began her professional path as an exhibits designer at the St. Louis Museum of Science and Natural History. At the same time, she pursued her Master’s in Graphic Design at Washington University, blending academic rigor with hands-on creative practice.
With her husband, John, Joyce went on to co-found an animation and visual effects company—an ambitious step that gave them the freedom to explore their creative passions and establish themselves in the growing digital arts industry.
Her career later expanded when she joined Time Arts, Inc. as Director of Creative Services, where she contributed to the development of pioneering software for animation. Recognizing the importance of passing on knowledge, Joyce also became a trailblazer in arts education—teaching the very first computer graphics courses at Washington University’s School of Fine Arts and later serving as Chair of the Media Arts and Animation Department at the Atlanta Art Institute. Along the way, she inspired countless students and helped shape the future of digital media.
Her expertise reached an even broader audience when she authored a book on animating with Corel IX for Corel Corporation, cementing her reputation as both an innovator and educator in the animation field.
In addition to her work in animation, Joyce discovered a passion for metalsmithing and jewelry design. With the release of ZBrush v4 sixteen years ago, she seamlessly merged her sculptural practice with cutting-edge technology, using ZBrush and 3D printing to expand the boundaries of jewelry and digital sculpture.
Today, Joyce continues her lifelong journey of creativity—drawing from decades of experience in traditional art, animation, and digital design to create, teach, and inspire.
Joyce currently teaches sculpture and jewelry classes at the Chastain Arts Center in Atlanta Ga.