Ryan Smoluk is an emerging Winnipeg artist who has already received substantial recognition for his work.
He has been awarded grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Manitoba Arts Council and the Winnipeg Arts Council. A highlight of his young career took place in 2012 when he was given a United Nations Stamp Award for his painting The Path. The drawing, completed when Smoluk was 15 years old, was reproduced on a postage stamp that became available world-wide.
Smoluk has exhibited his work at numerous venues in Winnipeg including the Artbeat Studio Gallery, the Upbeat Gallery, Fleet Gallery and the Pool of the Black Star. In June 2016 he had his first commercial solo exhibition that took place at Actual Gallery in Winnipeg. "Culture Shock" was curated by his former professor and mentor Diana Thorneycroft.
As an artist with autism, Ryan Smoluk is frequently invited to speak about his work at conferences and schools. His work has been featured in numerous publications including Autism Asperger's Digest Magazine, Pace Magazine and The Heart of Autism: Shifting Perceptions by Debbie Hosseini. As an advocate for mental heath and well being, he also teaches art classes and gives workshops.
In 2013 Ryan Smoluk graduated from the University of Manitoba's School of Art with a Diploma in Art degree.