Ryan Taber is a Los-Angeles based artist, woodworker, and educator. Since 2015, he has served as head of the Wood program at Cal State University Long Beach’s School of Art. The program has expanded significantly under Taber’s leadership, emphasizing sustainability and critical thinking at every step in the creative process. 

Taber’s art practice fuses drawing and mixed-media sculpture with traditional woodworking and furniture making techniques. Each piece utilizes an intricate web of historical references to interrogate notions of art and visual culture. Taber prioritizes materiality, which is reflected in the CSULB Wood program’s initiative to recycle wood from nearby dead trees which would otherwise go to landfill. The challenges inherent in working with imperfect, recycled wood encourage Taber’s students to continuously problem solve and maintain an ongoing dialogue with their materials.