Ryan Ballard

Hometown: Niangua, Missouri
Dream Hometown: Titan, the largest moon of Jupiter
Education: B.F.A. in Sculpture, University of Central Missouri, M.A. in Education, Xavier University of New Orleans and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

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Favorite Book(s): Anything by Kurt Vonnegut or Voltaire or Salman Rushdie...
Favorite Movie(s): I love old school Kung Fu and Spaghetti Westerns, as well as B- Grade Cheesy Horror Flicks.
Favorite Music: Besides being morally opposed to pop, I dig everything. Particularly, jazz, funk, and creepy carnivalesqe ballads (i.e. Tom Waits, etc.)
Favorite Quote: Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure. Helen Keller
The Perfect Day: Sunrise on the mountains and then a bit of surfing followed by a big Swiss breakfast and a hike with my dog. Some white-water kayaking or rafting and then maybe a bungy jump. Kofta Curry for lunch and then some paragliding with a big mountain summit in the early afternoon. Throw in some Canyoning and then relax with a good book. Beach BBQ with friends and a guitar. Fall asleep in a hammock under the stars.
Dream Job: Guiding Adventure Trips, Creating Art in my Studio, Teaching and Performing. Wait a second... Those ARE my jobs!!!
Dream Vacation: I plan to return to Nepal in a couple years and string together a series of 5, 6, and 7 thousand meter peaks and finish by climbing Dhulagiri, the 7th highest mountain in the world.
What I do when I'm not at AAVE: I create sculptures in my studio, run a puppetry company, teach art classes and workshops, and travel, travel, travel...