Saskatchewan Artist

Ryan Arnott

Ryan Arnott was born in 1952 in Vancouver, British Columbia, but grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan. Arnott was interested in art an an early age, and even as an elementary school student, his talent was recognized. Eventually he attended the University of Regina, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1975. During this time, he also attended artists' workshops at Emma Lake, Saskatchewan. Arnott then studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax (1977), where he lived for six years.

Arnott returned to Regina in 1982, where in addition to his own art-making he has taught others, including as a sessional instructor at the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College (now First Nations University of Canada) and worked to develop the artistic community. Arnott is a founding member of Neutral Ground, an artist-run centre.

Arnott has worked in a variety of mediums, from sculpture to printmaking, from photography to painting. His first solo exhibition, in 1977 at Eye Level Gallery in Halifax, Nova Scotia, consisted of drawings and collages. In 1989, an exhibition of his work, “smALL Matters,” toured throughout Saskatchewan schools as part of the MacKenzie Art Gallery's outreach program.

Arnott often uses word play and humour in his work, and incorporates familiar objects: in his words, “Some of the simplest things can make interesting art.” Arnott has traveled widely, including to Italy, Greece, Egypt, and Israel, and these excursions have provided much inspiration for his work.

Arnott's work is part of a group exhibition called “Plants and Machines,” touring throughout Saskatchewan from 2011 to 2013 with the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils.

Ryan Arnott lives in Regina.