“My hope is not only to present my work to others, but also to facilitate a way for the people of Willits to share their challenges and constraints.”

Anne Garvey is a visual artist based in Oakland, California, and a graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute. Early on, she began to explore ways to represent the inner, psychological realm of human beings through figurative paintings. Her current work includes imagery of tangled objects such as yarn or trucking straps as a metaphor for life’s struggles and anxiety. Using a combination of charcoal and oils on wood and paper, Garvey creates layers of seemingly complicated themes into simplified visions of the mental states of modern-day existence.

During her North Street residency, Anne will be interviewing people in the Willits community, asking them what constraints they experience in life. These conversations will inform the types of elements she will use as tangles and layers in future work. By interviewing people from various backgrounds, she intends to create body of work that speaks to individual stories, while simultaneously forming connections and a shared human experience. She plans to host workshops or events that encourage people to discuss the issues that affect them, eat, create, and build their own connections.