40 Years 40 Works

On November 21, 1981, Mary Ryan Gallery opened its doors to the public for the first time. Forty years later, we are thrilled to present an anniversary exhibition at the gallery and at the ADAA’s 2021 Art Show reflecting upon touchstone moments of the gallery’s four decade run so far.

First and foremost, we are grateful for the generations of great artists with whom we have the privilege of working. They are the reason we are here. Further, we are indebted to the many collectors, museums, art world colleagues, friends, and current and former gallery staff who collectively support and sustain the gallery.

This November, we are only showing highlights of our forty-year history at the ADAA’s The Art Show and at the gallery. These scant forty works (including sets and standalone works) on view cannot begin to cover the myriad of people, interests, and artworks that have marked forty years of activity, discovery, and growth.

Mary Ryan Gallery has always been committed to being a place of discovery—we have been continuously open to the public for forty years with the exception of the first six months of the Covid-19 pandemic. We started before computers and the internet; these innovations have drastically expanded our remote and global reach in the 21st century alongside our in-person visitors. We look forward to many more years of evolution and collaboration.

Mary Ryan, November 2021