Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Ryan Teten
Hi Dr. Ryan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Far from the rolling hills of the South Carolina Upstate, I was born in the harsh terrain of the Nebraska prairie. In fact, my family still has a farm of 5000 acres in the Sandhills of the state. However, in 5th grade, we relocated to Richmond, VA, where my father was hired as the Director of Physical Plant at Virginia Commonwealth University. After graduating high school in Richmond, I attended Clemson University where I double majored in Political Science and English and double minored in Spanish and History. After Clemson, where I was also privileged to also serve as the Tiger Cub mascot for several years, we moved to Nashville, TN where I completed my PhD in Political Science at Vanderbilt University; my degree had a focus on American Institutions, Political Behavior and Political Communication. After my first position at Northern Kentucky University for four years, my family and I relocated to Cajun Country, and I began at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2008. In addition to teaching and securing promotion to full professor at UL, I served as Chair of the Political Science Department as well as being asked to hold positions as Associate Dean of the Colleges of Liberal Arts and General Studies. In 2019, I returned to my home state of Nebraska to serve as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. After several years as Dean, we returned to my wife’s home state of NC and when the opportunity to serve the Upstate through the Spartanburg Art Museum arose, we jumped at the chance to return to South Carolina after 27 years to where we first met! The Spartanburg Art Museum has a mission to advance contemporary visual arts by inspiring and engaging diverse audiences through exhibitions and education. I am honored to currently hold the position of Executive Director and to work to continue our efforts in Art School education, amazing exhibits, and educational outreach to the community.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Any new job comes with its own set of challenges. As executive director, I think our main challenge was sharing the amazing classes and educational programs that we provide with the community at-large. SAM not only rotates four exhibits of national artists during the year, we also teach classes on everything from beginning watercolors to advanced ceramic wheel throwing. I feel that a very large part of my job is to supply continuing education to all of the diverse members of the surrounding community and provide valuable classes, educational outreach and contemporary exhibits that spark discussion and, importantly, expose patrons to different ways of viewing the world.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I love this job because life at the Spartanburg Art Museum is never boring. Artists are constantly pushing the boundaries of their mediums as well engaging new and volatile subjects within their pieces. It is a privilege to be one of a very small number of Contemporary Art Museums in the South, and we embrace this role in bringing new and exciting art to the area. Apart from our incredible exhibits, SAM is most known for the amazing Art School classes that we provide to students of all ages throughout many diverse courses. From beginning artists to those seeking to refine their skills, we provide instruction in our Ceramics and 2-D Studios to participants of all ages. I believe that I am most proud of the fact that SAM was founded in 1907 and, over the past 110 years, has become the main repository for historical pieces, artifacts, and priceless paintings. Yet, the museum still maintains its focus on sharing these and other contemporary works with new generations who can continue learning for years to come.
What matters most to you?
I believe that my family matters the most to me. My wife is the perfect complementary puzzle pieces to the weirdly shaped and ill-fitting piece that is me. She has faced challenges from cancer to other sudden puzzling health struggles, and yet she still gracefully moves forward with a dedication to spread love wherever she goes. She is everything that I looked for, she is the butter to my bread and the breath in my lungs. I am so blessed to have been married to her for the last 28 years and look forward to 50 more.
Pricing:
- Free Admission Tuesday-Saturday 10-5pm
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.spartanburgartmuseum.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spartanburgartmuseum/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spartanburgart/
