The people

Our people are creative spirits with big imaginations and big ideas. People who follow their hearts and share a vision for a more equitable world. We don’t wait for opportunities to come to us, we build that road ourselves, and invite everyone to join us on the journey. We are instigators and agents of change, and if it isn’t fun, we don’t do it. We share an understanding that art connects us as a shared experience, linking us through a story from our past, with an expression of what is happening in the moment, or in a vision for the future.

Rhett Miller, Singer/Songwriter & Frontman for the Old 97s

"Ryan Cronin is a weirdo. Through and through. The real deal. I moved to the Hudson Valley in 2003 because my wife and I had fallen in love with the bucolic tranquility of the region. It seemed like a great place to raise kids. But I worried that I wouldn't be able to find any quality weirdos. I wound up shortly thereafter invited by a mutual friend to a party at the Cronin compound and couldn't believe my luck. Here was the best kind of weirdo, a SUPREMELY TALENTED weirdo. Ryan Cronin doesn't paint for money or glory or acclaim. He paints because HE HAS TO. And his work has earned him money and glory and acclaim, but if it hadn't he would still be out there in his ramshackle studio slathering layers of Rustoleum onto 4'x4' wooden squares. His work is deceptively simple, incorporating bold images and occasional provocative snippets of text. The Cronin that hangs in my living room is a window into an alternate universe, simultaneously familiar and surreal. A dreamlike quality permeates his style, offering fragmented, funky glimpses into our collective unconscious. I'm a huge fan. This world of ours always needs more weirdos, but for now, thank god we have Ryan Cronin."

Eric Gullickson, VP & General Manager Mohonk Mountain House

“At a time when the world continues to be increasingly complex, Ryan’s work for me represents a more simple, raw, and refreshingly honest application. It’s interesting how people often want to make sense out of a piece of art or a particular painting, they seem uncomfortable unless they understand it and make terms with what it represents for them – this is not how I choose to interpret Ryan’s work. I appreciate his unapologetic in-your-face style – it reminds me to take more time enjoying my own creative process and in turn rely less on others' interpretations of the outcome.”

Carl Van Brunt, Artist & Curator

"What engages Cronin is moving from a state of not knowing to a moment of realization or epiphany; a process of self-discovery realized through the hand-eye-mind coordination of a natural athlete who's playing field is defined by the edges of the surface he’s painting on or the materials he is working into a sculpture by hand. One of his aspirations is to play the game in a manner truly reflective of the way he sees the world and thereby it is immediately recognizable as his own"

LeAnn Bruno, Assistant Principal @ Jefferson Elementary in New Rochelle.

"Ryan Cronin connects with our students on a deeper level than any other resident artist. He creates a mural from an organic place, using the hearts and minds of our children. What comes from a small initial idea, blossoms into a masterful mural. The students love and appreciate this work that they can admire for the remainder of their years here at Jefferson."