Meet Ann Schwartz | Acrylic Collage Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ann Schwartz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ann, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I received my B.A. from the University of Florida. I married and moved to New Jersey to teach. I was always painting and exhibiting my work in my free time. Then had my two children. I couldn’t get back to teaching so became a realtor. I had a week’s vacation and took a sculpture workshop. I began exhibiting and sold my sculptures for many years because it was easy to balance art and selling. My husbnd, Don, and I moved back to Florida in 1997. I joined the Women in the Visual Arts to meet other artists and became involved immediately on 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.

In 2003 I became a Destination Lecturer on ancient and contemporary art on cruise ships, and conducted hands-on art and design workshops on over 95 sailings. I balanced selling homes, exhibiting and selling art and winning awards, and doing over 450 lectures and workshops for 17 years until Covid put me at lockdown. I made one of my guest rooms an art studio and began to create acrylic collages by cutting up magazine papers with tiny scissors and a magnifying light.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I was always experimenting with different mediums in art. Even while the canvas was still wet, my family came and took them. I complained and finally saved enough to begin exhibiting. When I switched to stone, it was much easier. I had great success in New Jersey, but when we moved to Florida it was like starting over again. I have participated in over 100 group exhibitions, and was delighted to win “First Place” for my collage “Contemplation” at the Lighthouse Center of the Arts in their exhibit “The Art of 16 Associations”. I am most proud of when I did three exhibitions as collaborations with my husband who took up photography when he retired. My hardest challenge was preparing art lectures and workshops for the cruise ships I traveled all over the world on to entertain the passengers on sea days for over 17 years. Even though some people spoke little English, they could still enjoy all the 80-100 photographs I put together in my power point presentations.

For over 10 years I wrote a column “Art Happenings” for the Aberdeen Times to keep everyone aware of what was happening in the local Museums, Art Galleries, Festivals, and what my art organizations were involved in.

I am delighted my art can be found in collections in England, Italy, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Missouri, and Florida.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I might begin with a visit to South Beach and show off the changes that have taken place since I grew up there, and left to move to Fort Lauderdale to start High School. Nearby in Dania is the Weiner Museum of Decorative Arts with a fabulous collection of Dale Chihuly’s glass sculptures which I lectured about aboard cruise ships. Heading north is the Coral Springs Museum of Art that always has exciting exhibits. In Mizner Park is the Boca Raton Museum of Art surrounded by wonderful restaurants. My favorite is Max’s Grill where yoiu can eat outside, especially now with covid still around. Delray Beach is a quaint town with many different raustaurants and delightful plays at the Delray Beach Playhouse. Also for wonderful theatheris the Wick Theature and Costume Museum. If music was my guests’ thing, I would suggest Arts Garage for exciting concerts and jam sessions. If they were exhausted by now and needed some peaceful excursion, I would show them the lovely nature trails at the Green Cay or Wakodahatchee Preserves where they can see birds in their nests, alligators, raccoons, and maybe catch sight of the bobcat. Maybe that wouldn’t be calming, but excellent memories to take home with them.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The artist community has always supported each other. As Exhibition Chair of Women in the Visual Artists, I encouraged artists to continue to work to increase their success. I was supported by fellow artists, too many to mention. Ralph Papa was one to encourage me to send in an application and I was selected to represent the United States with 9 others from around the world to the Farindola International Art Festial. I conducted collage workshops with the children though they spoke very little English, and I very little Italian. We managed to succeed as you can see on their faces. I dedicate my shoutout to my husband of 58 years, Donald, who always supported my efforts and changes in the art world and carried my work to exhibits, mounted my sculptures, photographed and framed my art, and applauded my success every time I won an award or sold an artwork!

Website: annschwartzstudio.com

Facebook: www.thenawa.org

Image Credits
Donald H. Schwartz