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Anne Garvey is a contemporary visual artist based in Oakland, California. A graduate from the San Francisco Art Institute and Saint Mary’s College, she has exhibited, taught, and collaborated with fellow artists at home and abroad. Garvey works in a variety of media, but is primarily known for her realistic paintings of people and tangled objects. Her art centers around the inner human experience of a variety of mental states. Tangled elements, such as cords, yarn, and chains, serve as metaphors for different states of mind, and invite the viewer to contemplate our common struggles. Her current body of work explores anxiety, trauma, and resilience through large-scale drawings, paintings, and sculptural installation. Garvey’s work has been published in Memoir Magazine, TWIRL: a Decade of Artist Interviews, and the Racket Journal. She has participated as an artist-in-residence at Midway Gallery in San Francisco, the North Street Collective in Willits, CA, the Hoi An Recreation Center in Vietnam, and various educational programs throughout the bay area. Her work has been exhibited widely in venues and galleries including L.A. Artcore, Axis Gallery in Sacramento, Adobe Books in San Francisco, and Manna Gallery in Oakland.
Published on March 2nd, 2026. Artist responses collected in months previous.
Was pursuing your creative work a calling for you? How do you define calling within your practice? Share a concise definition and a moment when this felt most true.
I absolutely consider art a calling, at least that is how it's felt for me. Ever since I can remember, there has been some kind of strong pull to creative work. At first it was dance, which I was obsessed with for many years, then I slowly transitioned to drawing and painting. Although art was encouraged by my parents, I did not have anyone pushing me into these fields or examples of any artists I knew personally- it was completely self-motivated. Eventually I came to realize there were other people out there that were driven in a similar way, and that gave me inspiration to keep going. As a young adult, and young mother, I wished at times that that the calling wasn't there- I believed life would be easier without it. But now I know that art is my way of engaging with life, with others, and I am a much saner person for it.
What does a successful career in the arts look like to you today? Describe how you measure success now and note any shifts from earlier in your career.
The subject of success has been a tough one for me to grapple with this past year. My studio practice had all but stalled after changing jobs and moving homes. For the first time in many years I had serious doubts about whether I would continue moving forward with my career. In art school in the early 2000's success was presented as an art-star dream with a clear path from getting "discovered" by galleries and invited to the inner circle of the art world. Even then I had serious misgivings about that type of hierarchy-imposed system where only a select few are chosen. Over time I've shifted my perspective and developed my own standards for success. It involved asking myself what I truly wanted, holistically, from life. Although I have aspirations to get my work seen to a wider audience, my main goal is to simply maintain an active, dynamic art practice that engages with others in a meaningful way.
How are you kind to yourself in your art practice? (Include one or two concrete examples such as boundaries, rest, or studio routines.)
Looking back, I believe this past year has marked a major transition in my life and my art practice. I fought for studio time while tackling a demanding teaching job, and when I finally had weeks devoted to making art I found it incredibly difficult. I had to stop and take care of myself physically and mentally/emotionally before expecting any creative output. I am just now returning and finding joy in the work again, but it took me forgiving myself for needing to take a break. Although I have a routine, I am learning to be ok with shorter bursts of time if that's all I have energy for. At the same time I am making concrete steps to create a more balanced work situation where my art practice becomes the primary focus.
What impact do you hope your work has on others? Name the response you hope to spark and who you most want to reach.
Connecting with people on a deep level, whether through conversation, community, teaching, or art has become a central theme for me. My work starts out as deeply personal, but as it's filtered through materials and metaphors, I hope that others can find their own way in. The most satisfying moments are when someone tells me about their memories or narratives that have been sparked by seeing my work. What I'm thinking about as I make things is how complicated our lives seem, how much of a struggle life can be internally, but also how good we all are at problem solving, and how beautiful the struggle can be. I want for people to experience a kind of catharsis when they engage with my art, and to be reminded that none of us are alone in this mess we call life.
Do you have any rituals or spiritual practices that you integrate into your daily life as an artist? If relevant, mention frequency, timing, or how the practice supports your work.
I have rituals in my daily life that support my art practice in indirect ways. I mediate and do yoga, take walks, and read actual books and magazines on a weekly basis. As far as the studio is concerned, I generally begin by writing out plans or what I'm focusing on, getting into actually making work, then returning to writing to reflect and sometimes leave myself notes for the next studio session (especially if I know it will be a few days before I can return). When I feel stuck or nervous or antsy, I try and reorganize the space and materials or do busy work such as documenting art or updating my website.
Was pursuing your creative work a calling for you? How do you define calling within your practice? Share a concise definition and a moment when this felt most true.
I absolutely consider art a calling, at least that is how it's felt for me. Ever since I can remember, there has been some kind of strong pull to creative work. At first it was dance, which I was obsessed with for many years, then I slowly transitioned to drawing and painting. Although art was encouraged by my parents, I did not have anyone pushing me into these fields or examples of any artists I knew personally- it was completely self-motivated. Eventually I came to realize there were other people out there that were driven in a similar way, and that gave me inspiration to keep going. As a young adult, and young mother, I wished at times that that the calling wasn't there- I believed life would be easier without it. But now I know that art is my way of engaging with life, with others, and I am a much saner person for it.
What does a successful career in the arts look like to you today? Describe how you measure success now and note any shifts from earlier in your career.
The subject of success has been a tough one for me to grapple with this past year. My studio practice had all but stalled after changing jobs and moving homes. For the first time in many years I had serious doubts about whether I would continue moving forward with my career. In art school in the early 2000's success was presented as an art-star dream with a clear path from getting "discovered" by galleries and invited to the inner circle of the art world. Even then I had serious misgivings about that type of hierarchy-imposed system where only a select few are chosen. Over time I've shifted my perspective and developed my own standards for success. It involved asking myself what I truly wanted, holistically, from life. Although I have aspirations to get my work seen to a wider audience, my main goal is to simply maintain an active, dynamic art practice that engages with others in a meaningful way.
How are you kind to yourself in your art practice? (Include one or two concrete examples such as boundaries, rest, or studio routines.)
Looking back, I believe this past year has marked a major transition in my life and my art practice. I fought for studio time while tackling a demanding teaching job, and when I finally had weeks devoted to making art I found it incredibly difficult. I had to stop and take care of myself physically and mentally/emotionally before expecting any creative output. I am just now returning and finding joy in the work again, but it took me forgiving myself for needing to take a break. Although I have a routine, I am learning to be ok with shorter bursts of time if that's all I have energy for. At the same time I am making concrete steps to create a more balanced work situation where my art practice becomes the primary focus.
What impact do you hope your work has on others? Name the response you hope to spark and who you most want to reach.
Connecting with people on a deep level, whether through conversation, community, teaching, or art has become a central theme for me. My work starts out as deeply personal, but as it's filtered through materials and metaphors, I hope that others can find their own way in. The most satisfying moments are when someone tells me about their memories or narratives that have been sparked by seeing my work. What I'm thinking about as I make things is how complicated our lives seem, how much of a struggle life can be internally, but also how good we all are at problem solving, and how beautiful the struggle can be. I want for people to experience a kind of catharsis when they engage with my art, and to be reminded that none of us are alone in this mess we call life.
Do you have any rituals or spiritual practices that you integrate into your daily life as an artist? If relevant, mention frequency, timing, or how the practice supports your work.
I have rituals in my daily life that support my art practice in indirect ways. I mediate and do yoga, take walks, and read actual books and magazines on a weekly basis. As far as the studio is concerned, I generally begin by writing out plans or what I'm focusing on, getting into actually making work, then returning to writing to reflect and sometimes leave myself notes for the next studio session (especially if I know it will be a few days before I can return). When I feel stuck or nervous or antsy, I try and reorganize the space and materials or do busy work such as documenting art or updating my website.
Find Anne Garvey on Instagram
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