**THE AUCTION IS NOW CLOSED**
We are hosting an online fundraising auction on behalf of Alexandria- based artist Ryan M. Quinn. Ryan has been sculpting in Bronze since 2018. He learned to sculpt while serving as a military diplomat in Kyiv, Ukraine, and his work is influenced by the classical sculptural style of his artistic education under Serhii Brylov. His work was accepted into the All-Ukraine Triennial of Sculpture 2020 and he was the first American to earn a place in the exhibition.
Click here to register for the online auction and place your bid or donate!
The auction has ended and closed on Sunday, April 24th at 5 pm EST.
We are auctioning Ryan’s sculpture Zaivy Zaets (An Unneeded Hare) to raise money for The
National Union of Artists of Ukraine, founded in 1938. This organization is an all-Ukrainian
public creative organization of professional artists and art critics. Headquartered in Kyiv, the
structure of the Union includes 33 regional and territorial organizations.
The Union’s main goals are to coordinate Ukraine’s creative forces, guide the formation of the
artistic environment, ensure freedom of creativity, and promote the professional growth and
social protection of its members. In pursuit of these goals, the Union holds various Ukrainian
exhibitions of all genres of fine arts, biennial and triennial exhibitions, conferences, and
innovative exhibitions.
100% of the proceeds will go directly to The National Union of Artists of Ukraine.
About the Artist
Ryan Quinn grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and still feels a strong connection with the Midwest, especially the values of honesty, humility and compassion that his family surrounded him with as a child. And despite his childhood resistance to helping his mom in her extensive vegetable gardens and pumpkin fields, he has come to enjoy nature – in the way that a farmer enjoys a personal knowledge of the land, rather than in the way a hiker feels a connection with the forest.
After graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Ryan went to pilot training and learned to fly. He eventually became a pilot of the Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft. For seven years he traveled the world with a crew of five, spending a night or two in almost 50 countries. He fell in love with the travel, but always wondered what life is really like in those places we so briefly visit.
In 2018, the Air Force sent him to Ukraine to serve as the Air Force Attache at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. He grew to love the people of Ukraine, and the roots of his sculpture are in that country and culture.
On a personal level, I am grateful to the Union of Artists because they played such a role in shaping my development as a sculptor. Serhii would instruct me on drawing and sculpting, and he would take me to see the other artists at work. We would socialize and share ideas, and I would marvel at their work – everything from oil and watercolor paintings to stained glass and bronze sculptures on a heroic scale. It is my sincere hope to support the Union of Artists as they have supported me.
Ryan Quinn
The Meaning Behind Zaivy Zaets (An Unneeded Hare)
The sculpture title Zaivy Zaets translates from Ukrainian as “An Unneeded Hare.” This was Ryan’s first sculpture, created as a learning exercise under his teacher Serhii Brylov. Serhii instructed Ryan to choose an American fairy tale as the sculpture theme. He selected Brer Rabbit, specifically a storyline where Brer Rabbit is trapped by Brer Fox; he tricks the Fox into throwing him into the thorny briar patch – one would suspect a painful end for Rabbit. However, the briar patch is where Brer Rabbit was born and raised. Therefore, showing his cleverness, resilience, and poise in a moment of danger.
To me, Brer Rabbit – and the sculpture he inspired – “Unwanted Hare” – share a lot with the Ukrainian people as I know them, says Ryan, and as I have seen them respond to the Russian invasion. As a country it is smaller and less powerful, but as a nation Ukraine has proven itself to be formidable, with all the same characteristics as Brer Rabbit – resilience, bravery, and a refusal to give up when in grip of a ruthless foe. The people of Ukraine are fighting for their lives, but they are doing it on their home turf, with all the tenacity in the world.
Ryan Quinn
Principle Gallery 