The Diversion by Ryan Dodde II M.D.

The Diversion by Ryan Dodde II M.D.

In recent years, Grand Rapids, Michigan has hosted a wonderful celebration each fall called ArtPrize. Artists from all over the world display their art all throughout the city. Natives and tourists alike are invited to explore the city and vote for their favorite pieces. This past year, my cousin Ryan submitted a bronze sculpture called The Distraction. I didn’t hear about this until I went home for Thanksgiving. My mother had a postcard on her end table. Just looking at it brought tears to my eyes. It is so beautiful and to know that my cousin created it made me incredibly proud. The Diversion is full of dignity and hope. I’ve had a picture of this on my desktop at work ever since.

This isn’t the first time I’ve been proud of Ryan. On my dad’s side of the family, he is the oldest cousin. I’ve always looked up to him. He became the first doctor in our family and one of the nicest people I have ever known. During my senior year of high school, I had to make a presentation to my Honors English class about a form of art. At the time, the only creative thing I did was cross stitch and at that age there was no way I was going to stand up in front of my class and talk about that. I was in a pickle when I remembered that my Uncle Ryan had worked as a clown when I was little. On a wing and a prayer, I called him, hoping I could convince him to talk to my class. It was my cousin Ryan who answered the phone instead. His father no longer worked as a clown, but Ryan offered to talk about his sculptures instead. I was over the moon. He came to my class and everyone loved his presentation. I remember very clearly how my chest swelled because he was awesome and he was MY cousin. It made me feel special that he did that for me. The A I received was just the icing on the cake. I don’t think I’ve ever thanked him enough for that afternoon he spent in my high school in 1989, but it meant the world to me.

I hope you enjoy The Diversion as much as as I do. If you would like more information about Ryan and his work (including pictures of this sculpture in progress), here is his ArtPrize page.