Meet Anne Bedrick | Abstract Artist & Gallerist

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

Hi Anne, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I pursued a career in art because there is power in going beyond words. Non-verbal art forms often speak to the universal truth of human experience more directly than other forms of communication. Abstract painting can swell within us and stir emotions, impacting the viewer in the same way that jazz or classical music can.

Within each piece are a myriad of experiences. Each layer and mark reflect the moment in which they were created. As the layers build, the lower, hidden ones, inform the visible, in the same way that childhood shapes the adults we become. Sometimes we can see hints of that history, other times it is hidden.

I want the people who collect my paintings to be surrounded by work that speaks to their own histories, celebrating not only who they are now, but also who they are becoming.

Work Life Balance: How has it changed over time? How do you think about balance?

I think about balance all the time. Life is so busy and it is harder and harder to take a beat and realize how lucky we are to be here in this moment. Because of that I am continually trying to create pieces that are packed with interest but also help you find that moment of aah. That moment when you suddenly get out of your own head and see the beauty in front of you.

To me, the most beauty comes from honoring and preserving the playful, openness in the beginning of a painting. The raw marks are so genuine and are at the core of what the painting is. It’s like how we try to hold onto a slice of our childlike innocence and enthusiasm because it’s at the core of who we are. Some parts are too “too” and so over time we quiet them and reshape them. But the parts that remain are the gems.

Harvesting that energy and balancing it creates that moment of aah for the viewer and allows them to breathe deeply as their eyes float around and enjoy the variety of surfaces, marks, and colors within the work.

Where did you come from? How did you background and upbringing impact who you are today?

I came from NY, but my location did not impact who I am today as much as being female did.

50 years ago, at around 7 years old, I began to notice that being female in the world offered a different experience than that offered to my male counterparts.

This past fall I made an installation called “Standing Tall” about that experience. The installation included 16 nearly 9-foot tall panels and 16 1-inch tiles.

The nearly 9-foot panels represent women today. They engulf you. Their size demands your attention, they won’t let you ignore them as they claim their space. Loose, unstretched, unbound and standing tall, they step away from “should” and “supposed to”.

By contrast, the 1-inch pieces represent the way that I and many women, learned to be pleasant, helpful, and non- threatening. They fit easily anywhere, are small and won’t take over, you can equally easily choose to look at or walk past them.

Painting has been better than therapy! Through it I have learned to trust my own judgement and intuition, and to stand in my own strength.

The installation is at once a powerful representation of how far women (and I) have come and also creates a meditative temple-like environment where viewers spend much time lost in thought. I am hoping to hang this installation in other venues and would welcome any leads in that direction.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I want everyone to succeed and do well. I am not sure if it comes from having been a mom or an elementary school teacher, but I am always looking for opportunities to help others succeed. You know that old saying about a rising tide lifting all boats? I don’t just look for ways to further my own business or career, I look for ways to help the whole artist community.

I love making sales, but my artwork is not going to be right for everyone. It is more important that collectors find work that they LOVE and respond to, so if my work doesn’t fit their needs, I encourage them to visit other nearby artists. And, collectors sometimes come to me after visiting other studios trying to find the work that is just right for them.

I see it as a huge win if we just get more visitors to come to the area looking for art. The more that come the more we ALL will sell. It’s why I have recruited more artists to the Perez Art and Design District, and its why I started a monthly art walk for the district. I don’t see other artists as my competition. I see that ANY of us having success leads to MORE of us having success.

After the art-walk began to be successful, I decided to try to raise awareness of the variety and quality of art in the whole Coachella Valley. I started an open studio tour, with three other organizers, that runs in the spring. An example of all boats rising? We have run the tour for two years so far, 65 participated the first year and 110 the second. Most artists reported that they sold significantly MORE in the second year, despite the increased “competition”. And, I am genuinely thrilled for each of them!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Palm springs is an interesting mix of things to do and see from gorgeous nature hikes to quirky to beautiful art and design – this is a list of things I enjoy but there are many others that are not listed

-Palm Springs Art museum – Small but has a wonderful collection
-Moorten Botanical Garden – small cactus botanical garden with amazing cacti from around the world. It feels like a sculpture garden
-Tram – Take to the top of San Jacinto – hike at the top in 30* cooler weather – looks like a pine forest
– Walk around Downtown – my favorite part is the uptown design district in the north end of town including “The shops at 1345”, Pelago, etc.
-Just over the Palm Springs border in Cathedral City – Visit the Perez Art and Design District (my gallery and about 12 others are there) Anne Bedrick Fine Art, 68845 Perez Rd. (Building H), Unit 27, Cathedral City
-Drive around and look at Architecture – there are tours if you want to do it more formally or there is an APP called PS Mod
– El Paseo in Palm Desert has high end galleries and high end shops

Hiking
Fairly Easy to Moderate
-Taquitz canyon – right in town!
-Whitewater Preserve – there are several hikes here that are also dog friendly
-Murray Canyon to Seven Falls
-Pushwalla Palms Loop
-Ladders Canyon Loop in Mecca – Need a 4 wheel drive to get to it
-Trading Post to Stone Pools
-West Fork Trail in Indian Canyons

Out of town day trip
-Joshua Tree – hiking
-Salvation mountain, Bombay Beach, Jesus Way, Slab City – an off the grid art experience with the most unique people and way of life
-Pioneer Town Preserve- hiking but also near Pioneer town which was a movie set for many old westerns

Other
– Thursday night street festival downtown – typical street fair
– Vintage market (flea market) – first sunday of every month

A few of the restaurants we love
-533 (Vietnamese food) – casual food
-Spencer’s – fancier food, beautiful environment for a special occasion
-849 – in between casual and fancier food
-Sparrows Lodge – eat outside under a trellis
-Miro’s
-Sandfish whiskey and sushi – Unique Sushi

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out to the abstract artists that have come before me and helped me to find all of the possibilities within the paint. My first art-crush was on Richard Diebenkorn, but since then I have fallen head over heels in love with artists such as Willem DeKooning, Joan Mitchell, Albert Oehlen, Mary Lovelace O’Neal, and Jennifer Packer. All of them explore the boundaries of color and looseness and ways to move paint in ways that push the boundaries of what I am doing in my own work.

Website: www.annebedrick.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/annebedrick

Facebook: www.facebook.com/annebedrickart

Other: The spring open studios event: www.desertopenstudios.com