Art through carpentry – Meet Ryan Boll ’00
by Sierra Crocker
In many offices across campus this past fall you could find small pieces of wood with distinct VCSU Viking heads emblazoned on the varnished surface. These 247 beautiful hand-crafted ornaments are made from vintage wood paneling from the original construction of VCSU’s campus by Ryan Boll, campus carpenter and VCSU alumni.
Boll’s passion for woodworking and carpentry was what brought him to VCSU in the 90’s. He initially enrolled with the simple goal of getting a degree. But dreams can take on different shapes and Boll found his interests drawing him closer to the arts. This self-proclaimed “McCarthy third-floor nerd” got his start in the arts building sets for the theater department to pad his GPA while earning his degree. From there, he got to know other students in the art department; the very next semester he joined the Art Department as a fine arts major. He later graduated with two degrees: A degree in fine arts he earned as an undergrad in 2000 and a second degree in art education he later earned in 2007 when his combined passions for woodworking and education led him to becoming a shop teacher.
After earning his second-degree, Boll’s path had a few interesting curves. He worked with the ceramics program in the old art facilities on campus. Then in 2022, VCSU restructured some positions within facilities and Boll’s dream job opened. He immediately applied to be the carpenter on campus and it has been a whirlwind of work ever since.
Ever-humble, Ryan claims he only “drills holes here and there,” but evidence of his work can be seen all over campus. When he isn’t running around fulfilling work orders on the clock, he is still doing his favorite thing: “making stuff.” As a woodworker, Ryan’s personal projects mostly include wood carvings done with his home CNC machine, but he also delves into the world of metal work, leather work, and fur hat crafting. Ryan brings his art to craft fairs to sell but he’s just as likely to gift his smaller pieces, like the VCSU wood ornaments, to his pals and the community on campus.
When asked if Ryan still uses the skills he learned as an art student in both his professional and personal work, he replied, “In art, they don’t teach you how to draw, or paint, or sculpt. You can either do that or you can’t. What they really teach you is how to learn and how to solve problems. I use that every day.” The most important thing he learned was, “I learned how to learn.”
Learning how to learn goes beyond the classroom, Boll explained. A student learns from every experience, every relationship, every moment, “The experiences you have are what you learn from, whether you know it or not,” he said. “It isn’t something you sign up for- it just happens. The fun is in the engagement. That’ll stay with you for the rest of your life.”
Campus carpenter and artist, Ryan Boll is a lifelong Viking. His work on campus is many years in the making and shouldn’t go unrecognized. So, if you’re still making your way towards learning how to learn, don’t hesitate to stop and say hello.