Great Profiles

During its seasonal art fairs, the University Center atrium is a scene of organized chaos. People mill about in the congested aisles, trying to do business with local vendors over the inescapable noise of the crowd, or browse the numerous hand-made goods on display and coo about them with friends.

“If you see anything you like, you’re welcome to touch it, pick it up, and try it on! We’re very hands-on here, and we love to make people smile!” said a female voice from behind a table littered with a variety of sparkling, colorful necklaces and bracelets made from gemstone beads and silver. Amidst the jewelry sat a selection of intricate crowns and tiaras, some glittering with crystals and beads, others exploding with colorful flowers and ribbons that would catch the eye of anybody in the table’s general vicinity.

Decked out in shades of pink and purple to match the radiant crystal tiara she was wearing, the bespectacled woman strode out from behind the table. She helped a girl properly place on her head the piece she had selected – a glowing silver tiara with blue beads – and tell her more about it. After a seemingly brief whirlwind of pretty items and laughter, the girl was behind the table herself selling the jewelry and tiaras with the quirky, kindly woman and her two equally friendly helpers.

Shortly after introducing the girl to her new friends, the woman darted off in another direction to socialize and discuss business with other people. She exuded characteristics of a hummingbird: colorful, fast-paced, and never in one location for very long. Fortunately for her helpers, she was easy to spot; her short, glitter-filled brunette hair topped with a large Swarovski crystal tiara gave away her position in no time at all.

This unique, mind-warping woman is Alice Ryan, 29, a Missoula artist and University of Montana student. Of course, she is not merely Alice Ryan: Local Artist. She is also Alice Ryan: Fierce Friend and Determined Fighter.

Art is one among many hobbies Alice has, though it is certainly the most prominent of them all. Throughout the year, she sells her tiaras and jewelry at local art fairs and the People’s Market. “The Queen of the Market” likes to design many other objects as well, such as greeting cards and costumes. This year she designed her own Halloween costume in the image of her dog, a poodle named Laramie.

“It’s amazing how much she knows about the stuff she makes,” said Anna Ruetz, a friend of Alice’s. “She puts stuff together in a way that affects the actual feel of the jewelry. She’s just really talented and fantastic.”

Alice is highly involved in Missoula’s artistic community. She is the president and founder of University Crafters, a craft group that meets on Monday nights in the University Center. The group works together on artistic projects, such as decorating underwear for the Women’s Center’s upcoming Valentine’s Day production of The Vagina Monologues, in which Alice will be performing.

“I haven’t been in a play since elementary school, so this will be weird for me,” she confessed. “I’m the ultimate at impromptu, but this time I have lines!”

When asked what prompted her to make such a leap, she said, “I first saw it last year, and I liked it, because it’s kind of in the spirit of women. It’s about not being afraid or shy about who you are, and being proud of yourself and everything. It brings to light issues many want to ignore or haven’t taken time to appreciate.”

Alice is an advocate for issues of all kinds. This year, she organized an event through Bead for Life, a group that sells beads made out of recycled paper. The beads are made by Ugandan women, and proceeds made by Bead for Life events go back to Ugandan families to fight poverty. The event raised more than $1,600 for the organization. With the beads, Alice designed a $152 sterling silver tiara. Fifty percent of the tiara’s price will go to the organization.

Alice’s life is certainly not lacking in love, as she has an abundance of friends. They describe her in similar ways, calling her loyal, kindhearted and very laid-back.

“One evening during craft group, she was working on her poodle Halloween costume,” said Maia McGuire, Alice’s friend and business partner. “She was testing the headpiece, and she had just glued something on it. She stuck the piece on her head, and ended up gluing it to her head. We had to cut it off! It was just Alice to a tee. She wasn’t whiny or upset; she just laughed at herself, said ‘Whatever!’ and went back to work.”

“I had a great time working on self-portraits with her in the ceramics class where we met,” said friend Emily Darling. “Hers ended up a little funny, but her enthusiasm on how funny her piece turned out was just a blast. It made going to class even more fun.”

According to Darling, Alice can credit the root of her enthralling personality to her family.

“When I’m with Alice, her sister and her mother, I can see where Alice has bloomed from, and it’s wonderful to see not only the different personalities, but the kindness and the sheer love they have for each other. That’s made her who she is, and she passes that love on to her friends.”

For Alice, part of that love means helping those close to her in one whatever ways possible.

“She’s been helping me learn how to make my jewelry better,” explained McGuire. “It started out kind of crappy, like a sixth grader could make it with a monkey, but it’s now quality and people compliment it. To me, she’s been a generous, loving, great friend and mentor.”

“She’s been awesome to me. She’s sort of like a big sister, and she teaches me how to make stuff and lets me be helpful,” said Ruetz.

Alice’s personal philosophy states that one should practice acceptance and take the time to know and understand others, because that is the only way to achieve peace. Because of this, she is very outgoing.

“With her influence, I’m better at talking to people and making new friends. It’s great to be around a person as outgoing as she is, because she helps you find your outgoing self,” McGuire said.

Like many people, Alice has endured her share of obstacles. She lives with one such obstacle everyday: narcolepsy.

Narcolepsy is a disorder that occurs when a person’s brain is unable to normally regulate sleep-wake cycles. It is characterized by uncontrollable, fleeting urges to sleep throughout the day. Most often, narcoleptics will fall asleep only for a few seconds or minutes, but they can fall asleep for longer than that. Narcoleptics can also suffer from cataplexy, the sudden loss of voluntary muscle control; hallucinations while asleep or awake; and occasional bouts of temporary paralysis.

She recalled her self-doubt after experiencing temporary paralysis one morning when she was 11 years old, saying, “It wasn’t even an hour before I was completely normal again, with no pain, no nothing. I was like, ‘Okay was it real? Did I fake it? I don’t think I did, but maybe I did?’ I was really underestimating myself because it was so unnatural and unreal.”

She was officially diagnosed with narcolepsy only two years ago. Since then, she has been confronted with a whole new problem: medication.

“All of them alter my mind, and all of a sudden I’m dealing with problems I don’t normally have. Sometimes I’m saying something that is completely not what I’m trying to say or do, because of the meds.”

Additionally, Alice suffers from a learning disability and Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD), which she was diagnosed with in the fourth grade.

“I graduated in the 50th percentile of a class of 250,” she said.” I didn’t want to be labeled. I had ADD and I was fine with that. ADD is awesome. But I knew I was struggling with more than just ADD.”

A few years ago, she was accepted to the University of Montana, where she is studying for a teaching degree. She realized it was time to face her disability so she could do her best, which encouraged her to get herself tested for learning disabilities; she says it was one of the lowest feelings in her life.

“During the mathematics section of the test, I was asked to add two 2-digit numbers,” she explained. “I struggled. I stretched my arms and, without intending to, put my hands behind my head and counted off on my fingers. I couldn’t do it without using my fingers!”

Alice said when she headed for home, she immediately burst into tears.

“I started wondering what the hell I was doing posing at the university as if I were a smart person. That was really difficult for me.”

Her test results confirmed what she already knew: that she still had ADD and a severe math learning disability. Out of seven different areas of testing, three of her results were at a “seriously severe, mental institute level of ability,” while three others, such as English comprehension, showed a superior range of intelligence.

“Come on! I just don’t make sense!” she laughed. “But it explains why I’ve been able to get so far, because I’m pulling on my strengths instead of my weaknesses.”

That, according to Alice, is not the only reason she has been able to succeed.

“If I’ve been told one thing again and again and again, it’s that if I find something I want, I go until I get it. I’m going to be a science teacher, and I’m going to be the best damn science teacher that’s going to exist, because frankly, it’s not coming easy. The bad stuff sucks, plain and simple, but I’m here, and I’m going to get through this if it kills me.”

Alice certainly has plenty of commitments to occupy her time. Perhaps her most significant commitment is her family, husband Dan Ryan and their 4-year-old son, Kevin. As a wife, Alice says her philosophy is a unique one.

“I’m a firm believer that the person who heads a house doesn’t need to be the male. I wear the pants, whether he likes it or not!” she laughed. “Love will get you through almost anything, but communication is key. If you keep stuff to yourselves, how will you know anything about each other?”

As a mother, Alice maintains a distinctive point of view.

“I always try to answer Kevin’s questions,” she said. “If I tell him the sky is blue, and he asks me why, I feel I need to give him a real reason. If I’m telling him something, I should have a logical reason for why it is.”

Alice has a few ideas for her future. She hopes to head up a science club, become an assistant track coach, get a master’s degree in education, and become a certified art teacher. Until then, she wants to be a part of the summer renaissance fair circuit to sell crowns with her family, and to continue her current endeavors.

“It’s amazing how much Alice can get done, considering the fact that she’s a full-time student who has a 4-year-old son, is going to be teacher, and is narcoleptic,” said McGuire. “She gets so much done for someone who has so much on her plate.”

“She likes to push boundaries,” Darling said of Alice. “She is usually quite successful, but she’s not afraid to fail.”

With an unfailing smile on her face and gleam in her eyes, Alice reluctantly began to deconstruct her display table even amidst the bombardment of questions from family, friends and helpers.

“Where did that go?”

“Where do you want this?”

“Are we taking this out to the van?”

All the while, Alice smirked, insisting to each individual, “I really am listening, I swear!”

Soon her table, credited with setting a special mood for the entire fair, was no longer gleaming with flashy tiaras and dazzling gems; the area in which it stood became nothing more than a drab, pebbly-floored corner of the University Center like it usually is. Even after three long days of selling, Alice is eagerly awaiting the coming summer and next year’s art fairs. Again, she can bring smiles to the faces of strangers drawn in by her enthralling, vibrant creations. It is safe to say that buyers will be equally drawn to the woman, as colorful as the items she creates.