Mahler Bessinger Ryder (July 7, 1937 – February 27, 1992) was an American visual artist, illustrator, and educator.
He was also a self-taught jazz pianist, and a faculty member at the Rhode Island School of Design for many years.
[3] Ryder created a series of mixed media collages that paid tribute to African American jazz and blues figures, such as George Benson, Lead Belly, and B.
[2] He died of cancer at the of age 54 on February 27, 1992, at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence.
[1] Ryder's archive can be found at the Smithsonian American Art and Portrait Gallery Library.