Today we’d like to introduce you to De Ann Christensen.
Hi De Ann, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I love all things art and the diversity of art forms we have right in our backyard is astounding.
I moved to the Texas Hill Country from Houston where I had a working art studio in downtown Houston at Spring Street Studios and I began meeting artists everywhere I went. Our area has an incredible amount of talent in all aspects of art.
The life of an artist is very difficult, not only do you have to find time to create, but you also must market yourself and find homes to bring your art to the public.
Being an artist myself with a marketing background from a career in sales, I wanted to find a way to help promote these amazing artists in an environment that was unique and inviting and to step away from the typical Gallery experience. I built a Gallery in a 1947 home with 1200 square feet of gallery space, plus a small theater room to promote short film and an immersive room that would take people to another place and time in a small room in the middle of Blanco, Texas. I wanted to help market artists, to share their creations, and tell their stories. I wanted people to celebrate art and to see new and diverse artforms. Over the last two years I have been honored to meet and help tell the story of 45 visual arts from painters, digital artists, sculptors, textile artists assemblage and immersive artists.
Another of the artforms promoted was filmmaking. My brother Dean was active in short films locally and introduced me to the world of acting and short films. Many of these films have shown at the Gallery. The world of film is huge in Austin and the Texas Hill Country area, and I have met so many creative people in that industry. Last year I wrote, had a small part in, and helped produced my first film “Consequence,” directed by Genaro Perez, the film has been selected internationally, shown in eleven festivals to date and won five awards. It was recently shown at the Austin Internation Film Festival in Austin, Texas.
One of those immersives was built by an amazing Austin digital artist, Dolphin L. Brown who has also shown internationally and recently returned from an exhibit in Venice, Italy!
The artists came from as far away as France and Spain, such as Mike Snow and Timothy White’s solo exhibit. The gallery hosted workshops, artist retreats and artist talks.
It has been such a rewarding journey. I recently listed the gallery for sale to pursue other artistic ventures locally and abroad and plan to continue to support our local community of artists and filmmakers and help them build their dreams. There is nothing more exciting than seeing joy on an artist’s face when an audience desires to understand and appreciate their creative masterpieces, whether that be a painting, a hand-built drum, a surreal environment, or their story on the screen.
I will continue to promote our wonderful community of amazing artists through various organizations that support the arts and by personally encouraging, sharing, and motivating artists to share their unique talents and to shoot for the stars. In my mind, they are all superstars, and I consider it my privilege to be a part of their lives.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The quest to find fine artists and filmmakers has been surprisingly easy, I am continually amazed at how much talent we have in our area.
The biggest struggle is time. It takes a lot of time and work to represent each artist, making sure the artists are represented authentically . It isn’t the relationship investment, that has been a blessing, but the amount of time we have in a week! Then there is the business side, it is a seven day a week of job planning, promoting, marketing, installing exhibits, installing immersive installations, coordinating food, drink, etc. I am so thankful for Tam L. Corbette, Gallery Assistance, for her help and the wonderful help of volunteers CJ and Leonard Morrison, Dean and Cydney Christensen and ArtsDrive Media for their help making the exhibit receptions a success.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I always wanted to be a full-time artist, but out of necessity, I worked in the corporate world of large group healthcare sales.
I retired early and began making art full time in 2018 in Houston, Texas.
I am a multi-discipline artist but my main art form is painting. Early on many well-established artists told me they were stuck in their style because it was has brought them success and they miss the days of creating diverse works for enjoyment.
I listened to their message and have tried to keep my art diverse with the goal of not having a recognizable style or subject matter. I have done abstract, conceptual, realistic and impressionist style and also love assemblage art with a sense of humor. I also love writing and plan to write more in the future, whether it be script writing or a novel, I have a long list of artistic ventures I want to experience in the years ahead.
I am proud to have followed my dreams and to have been a part of connecting people in our community through the arts. That was my goal. I think what sets me apart is my ability to jump in with both feet and live the dream. It is not that I am so confident, I know I may fail or get lost along the way…but that is ok, I may also succeed, I will meet some fabulous people along the way, and in the long run it will make me a better person and artist.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Yes, listen to what other successful artists say, keep your mind open – the journey may take you in a different direction that you thought. Believe in yourself and stay positive. Be persistent.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://deannchristensen.net
Image Credits
ArtsDrive Media David Frank and Paul Cruz
