Kyle Ragsdale

Artist Kyle Ragsdale grew up in Texas and New Mexico, witnessing from a young age a mix of vibrant cultures and large wild spaces.  For 15 years since earning degrees at Baylor University (BFA) and Southern Methodist University (MFA), Ragsdale has been painting full time, working periodically as a decorative painter and stage set designer, and making fine art.  He has served as curator for exhibits in Texas and Indiana and currently is curator for the Harrison Center for the Arts, Indianapolis.

Ragsdale's work has changed many times—-the paint has been thick, thin, shiny, and flat.  He often delves into decorative floral patterns, landscapes, and portraiture, but probably is best known for his mysterious elongated figures.  Many times, people featured in his paintings are enjoying the beauty of community, sharing life at picnics or parties.  Sometimes formal, sometimes casual, these signature figures and their often-ambiguous settings always leave room for   interpretation; like an open-ended novel, relationships and meanings are found in the viewer's gaze.

Ragsdale works in a beautiful studio at the Harrison, beneath stained glass windows and amidst a crazy menagerie of paints, antiques, and eclectic music.  The Harrison is home to a synergistic community of 22 working artists who share ideas, tools, inspiration, and life.

Recent honors include first prize at Masterpiece in a Day, final round at Art v. Art, a fellowship to the Vermont Studio Center, and posters for Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's 25th anniversary Symphony on the Prairie summer series and the 2006 Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis.

For more information, visit www.KyleRagsdale.com.