Nancy Ryan is a watercolor artist and resident artist at the Rowan County Arts Center. She earned bachelor’s degrees in Home Economics and Art with a teaching certification in Elementary Art from Morehead State University, later completing a master’s degree in Vocational Education.

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After graduation, Ryan remained in Morehead, substitute teaching and working part time for local florists. In 1989, she founded Creative Touch Florist and later expanded her business to include a “Paint Your Own Ceramics” studio. After many years away from painting, she rediscovered watercolor in 2013 while attending a Berea Learn Shop workshop, renewing a long-standing passion for the medium.

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Since then, she has continued her studies through classes in Berea, Morehead, and Louisville and enjoys working as part of the Rowan County Arts Center’s studio community. Deeply connected to Kentucky, which she considers her permanent home, she often paints local scenes that capture the culture, character, and natural beauty of the region.