In a small-scale bedroom filled wall to ceiling with unique, handmade creations, artist and entrepreneur William George Ryder sat on his bed, sculpting two gigantic hands out of Styrofoam.
Ryder, who recently passed away at the age of 82, exhibited a knack for craftsmanship since he was a small child. At the age of 4, his parents were surprised to discover him disassembling his Christmas gifts to learn how they were put together. To his siblings’ dismay, he developed a habit of taking apart their toys, as well.
“I tore my sister dolls up, and what a surprise, it had paper clips and rubber bands on the inside. When their rubber bands broke, I fixed it for them. I made toys. I made guns, knives, horses, sling shots, skatermobiles,” said Ryder.
His creativity had only grown since his youth. Both the inside and outside of his home on 34th and Clifton are full of paintings, sculptures and other forms of art. Throughout his lifetime, his art had been displayed at the Artsgarden, honored at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and highlighted in local publications such as NUVO, the Indianapolis Recorder and the Indianapolis Star.
Art isn’t the only area of life in which Ryder found success. He was a member of the Air Force, worked as a stationary engineering apprentice for International Harvester, and owned and operated a successful print shop for 20 years. He had plans of expanding his printing business into a franchise, but corporate embezzlement and shady customers made him reconsider. Eventually, Ryder threw in the towel, took the $5,000 he had left from his business to an auction and purchased a home for $1,900. His new neighborhood had a bad reputation. Despite his car being shot at, he took it upon himself to beautify the area with his art.
“I lived at 34th and Clifton, walking the alleys with prostitutes, gangsters, crack heads, and everything else, trying to observe. They were pretty good people, but they got so angry they were destroying themselves. I was doing art inside and outside (of my home), and I told all of them that the outside art is for them and the inside art is for me,” said Ryder.
Outside of his home, Ryder built a 150-foot-tall snake and a sculpture titled “Blue Jesus” depicting a large man chained to a cross. Ryder feels his art helped him gain the respect of his neighbors; after displaying his sculptures outside, he didn’t have any issues.
Ryder saw the way his art made a positive impact in his neighborhood and took it upon himself to mentor other artists. The local legend’s knack for seeing the value in things others dismissed was still going strong. Though he often felt as if his work did not earn the recognition it deserved, he was hard at work up to his final days turning ordinary objects into beautiful pieces of art. There were two very special projects that he was most excited about:
When he passed on May 5, Ryder was in the process of writing a book about his art and turning his home into a museum. His family will continue working on getting these offerings ready for the public.
His friends and family will remember him for his kind spirit, wit and humor, which he carried with him through his final days.
“I would like for people to remember how outstanding he is and how giving he is with his art,” said his niece, Belinda Granberry, during the interview. “People don’t understand why he doesn’t want to sell his art, but he’s doing a museum in his home. It’s three floors of art, and when it opens, everybody will be able to see. They are more than willing to drive by now because there is beautiful art outside. And I am proud of him.”
The Indianapolis Recorder will honor William George Ryder alongside 11 other minority professionals during the 2017 Spring Golden Laurel Professional Reception.
Public visitation is scheduled for Monday, May 22, at Light of the World Christian Church from 10 a.m.–noon.
Ryder among Golden Laurel honorees:
The Indiana Minority Business Magazine will honor 12 minority professionals during the 2017 Spring Golden Laurel Professional Reception who have exhibited excellence in the field of fashion, art or beauty. The recipients of the Golden Laurel distinction will be awarded on Thursday, May 11, at the Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council office, located at 2126 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46202. An art-gallery themed networking reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., and the awards presentation will begin at 6 p.m.
