Featured Artist Ann Schwartz

Artist Ann Schwartz creates delightful mixed media collages, each a tiny complex world of its own. See more of her art by visiting her website.

 

 

Receiving my B.A. from the University of Florida, I married and moved to New Jersey to teach. During this time, I continued to paint and exhibit my art in my free time.

 

 

Once I had my two children, Wayne and Denise, I moved away from teaching and became a realtor. At one point, I had a week’s vacation which I used to take a sculpture workshop. I began exhibiting and sold my sculptures for many years because it was easy to balance art and selling.

 

 

My husband, Don, and I moved back to Florida in 1997. I joined Women in the Visual Arts to meet other artists. Immediately I became involved with the board. I worked my way up to become President for several years, as well as Exhibition Chair. I was also on the Board of the Boca Raton Museum of Art’s Artist Guild and served as interim President.

 

 

In 2003, I became a destination lecturer on ancient and contemporary art on cruise ships, conducting hands-on art and design workshops on over 95 sailings.

 

 

For over seventeen years, I managed to balance selling homes, exhibiting and selling art and winning awards, as well as giving over 450 lectures and workshops until Covid forced me to be on lockdown.

 

 

I made one of my guest rooms into an art studio and began to create acrylic collages by cutting up magazine papers with tiny scissors and a magnifying light. I was always experimenting with different mediums. My work was so popular with my family members that even while the canvas was still wet, they came and took them.

 

 

When I switched to stone, it was much easier to save enough to exhibit. I had great success in New Jersey, but when we moved to Florida it was like starting all over again. I’ve participated in over 100 group exhibitions, and was delighted to win first place for my collage “Contemplation” at the Lighthouse Center for the Arts in their exhibit The Art of 16 Associations.

 

 

I’m most proud of the three exhibitions I did as collaborations with my husband, who took up photography when he retired. We were selected to represent the United States at the Farindola International Art Festival in Italy with eight other artists from around the world.

 

 

While there, I conducted collage workshops for children. Even though they spoke very little English and I spoke only a little Italian, we somehow managed to communicate. The workshops were a success.

 

 

I thank my husband of 58 years who always supported my efforts and the changes in my art world. He carried my work to exhibitions, mounted my sculptures, photographed and framed my art, and applauded every time I won an award or sold an artwork! I am delighted my art can be found in collections in England, Italy, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Missouri and Florida.

 

Artist Ann Schwartz invites you to follow her on the National Association of Women Artists website.

 

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