Meet Anita Stewart of Anita Stewart Gallery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anita Stewart.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Who are you and what do you do, and what is your background?
I am an international artist and art teacher. I graduated from the University of Memphis in the ancient year of 1977 with a BFA. As I taught, I got elementary, junior high and high school art programs off the ground for both public and private schools. This encouraged me to start my own art school. I was the sole owner and director of Anita’s ArtsCool for 15 years,1998-2013. I hit the ground running when we move to Atlanta in 1983.

Since then I have been in numerous juried local, regional and international art competitions. I became friends with an artist who lived near me in Suwanee. Jill Fearon was an artist from South Africa. In 2006, she invited me to visit her in Capetown and travel through beautiful South Africa. I visited Capetown for a month in 2007. In 2009 I went with her and a group of South African artists for almost two weeks to paint in Tuscany. I returned to South Africa in 2010 to paint and travel.

During my last adventure in South Africa, I got my courage up to travel by myself. I developed a passion during my visits to South Africa to view cave paintings. (They are much older than the ones we have in the US.) My explorations in Africa led me to other adventures in Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and Australia. I was the first international Artist in Residence in Beverley, Australia in Oct of 2013. I have much of my art hanging in my almost a museum residence.

One room holds many of my art inspired by my trips to South Africa and Swaziland. Another one is packed with my art from Australia.

What’s integral to your art and or art career?
I love to explore and experiment. Travel has become very important to my quest in understanding the people and art of other countries. I love the challenge and adventure to stretch myself and has driven me to a deeper understanding of who I am and where I came from. I have Native American heritage and I find myself attracted to the indigenous people of whatever country I travel to. I also love to experiment with different materials. I repurposed plastic and paints in my African travels. Most recently I have repurposed fabric and ink. in a series that is mostly black and white.

What themes do you pursue and what medium do you use?
I have taught a wide range of media through the years. I progressed through acrylics, pastels, pen and ink, and oils. I have drawn and painted a wide range of subject matter in both realistic and fantasy styles.

I am currently exploring maps as artwork using mixed media. I have cut, torn and pasted maps with zero and minimum paint. I have rendered many portraits of live models using watercolor crayons overprinted maps. I think using maps fits who I am and what I want to explore.. many worlds!!

What makes you angry, what makes you happy?
I make me angry is to see an individual cause hardship for other people. Especially when it causes them to become adversaries. We live in a small world and our online technology is making it even smaller. I love to laugh and discover something new.

Who and what inspired you in your work and or in your life in general?
Those who don’t give up. People who bring more joy and sunshine into your life. I think my Great Aunt was also an inspiration to me. She taught in London and loved to travel.

What superpower would you want?
I would want to visit with loved ones who are gone. I would also love to be a time traveler to learn more from other people born in other places and at other times in life.

What is your favorite artists and or other person?
I am always amazed by the work of Salvador Dahli… I also like Van Gough’s work. I share the same birthday as Van Gough. I loved visiting the Dahli museums in Tampa and in Barcelona.

What advice would you give to other artists?
Never give up. Be true to yourself and give yourself the grace to make mistakes. Some of my greatest accomplishments have come from big mistakes that I learned from ..in my work and in my life.

Always look for ways to learn more… Step back and reconsider what has happened in your life.

I am currently teaching drawing and painting to teens at Art and Beyond on Holcomb Bridge Rd. I also teach painting to adults at Johns’ Creek Art Center and drawing to adults at Brenau University in Braselton.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Struggles as a teen:
My dad said, “Whatever you do, don’t go into art.” As an art teacher after having received my BFA from the University of Memphis. I found teaching art in a public middle school more difficult than I expected. I later taught art for 4 yrs at a private school.

I later taught elementary art and middle school ESL. All this experience lead me to start my own art school that I dubbed Anita’s Arts School I owned and directed this school from 1998 – 2013. After my Artist in Residence adventures in Australia, I realized I needed a change so I closed my school and persuaded teaching art elsewhere.

But all along I have also pursued showing and selling my art. I started showing my work in 1983. I have a long list of places I have exhibited locally, nationally and internationally. My work has been televised on an Atlanta station and on Women’s Entertainment. The scam about by continuing to find connections with people interested in showing my art.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Anita Stewart Gallery story. Tell us more about the business.
I think I answered this in the previous question. My gallery is more my art housed in my residence. I have held openings but the best way to see my work is on my website or contact me to find out my latest show. I am currently showing at Aurora Theatre. I am part of a new group call The Women’s Creative Art Collective. We are a group of 6 very experienced professional artists and will host another show in October at Aurora.

What sets me apart is my decades on pursuing my passion and not being afraid to explore and try new things. I am pursuing placing my art in various venues, I have never displayed my art. I have work in Gallery O in Norcross, Westside Market in Atlanta, and K2 Studio in Ashville, North Carolina.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Ha! I ended up in South Africa and Australia because of the people I met.

South Africa _ a lady about my same age, at the time we were both married 33 years, walked into my gallery/art school. We became great friends and a few years later invited me to travel to Capetown, South Africa. I travelled to South Africa in 2007 and in 2010.. Both for a month at a time. Loved it!!

Austraila _ Summer of 2012, I was chatting with a guy in Australia on Facebook. He found out I loved to travel and paint. Because of his insistence of me coming to Australia.. I finally replied.. Dude, I can’t afford to come to Austraila… Ok.. If you find me a free or cheap way to come He found me a free place to stay.

In Oct 2013, I was able to stay for 4 weeks, for free in Beverley, Australia.. as their first international artist in residence. All I had to pay for was my airline ticket. My friend from South Africa influenced me to save my money for travel. I taught a workshop in Beverley and did a commission, both paid for me food for my trip.

Contact Info:

• Address: 3479 Bonneville Way Suwanee, GA
• Website: www.anitastewargallery.com
• Phone: 678-230-4937
• Email: anitaarts@hotmail.com
• Instagram: anita_gill_stewart_gallery

Image Credit:
Tannery Row, Judy Suworwic

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