Meet Ann Rosen

 

We recently connected with Ann Rosen and have shared our conversation below.

ANN, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience stems from overcoming emotional challenges throughout my life, both as a child and an adult. As a child, all I ever wanted was to draw and paint. While my parents nurtured this passion, they also imposed expectations that made it difficult. I was expected to get married, have children, and become a mother. The only college art school available to me was a state university, where my grades suffered due to the traditional courses I was required to take. I’m not a traditional learner or image-maker.
In my senior year, I discovered photography, changed my major, and worked harder than ever. My camera became an extension of me, and I spent most of my time in the darkroom. My grades soared, and I became a straight-A student. After graduation, I continued practicing photography into my early twenties, taking non-matriculated courses at MIT and Harvard. However, I eventually ran out of money and thought becoming a medical photographer would be a practical next step. Therefore, when I asked my professor at MIT for a recommendation for a medical photographer program, he refused, but instead offered to recommend me to the Visual Studies Workshop (VSW) in Rochester, to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in photographic studies. I packed my things and moved to upstate New York. The experiences I had at VSW deeply shaped how I view photography and my art practice today. My perseverance in learning about art, photography, and bookmaking there has defined my creative vision.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a portrait photographer and educator. I have a major project, Being Seen. Through this project, I pass on my passion for art-making and photography to women who are formerly homeless or incarcerated, veterans, refugees, or recovering addicts. Acquiring these skills helps them bring more consistency and resilience into their lives and assists in alleviating anxiety, depression, and stress.
As a curator, I seek to highlight the voices, histories, and perspectives of female photographers.
This December, I will be curating an exhibition titled Capturing Dignity at El Barrio Artspace PS109 in East Harlem, NYC. The work of the women photographers in this exhibition explores themes of community and portraiture with dignity and respect. Each photographer has focused on individuals or groups within her community who have been overlooked—celebrating the beauty of women, highlighting the traditions of Mexicans, exploring how affection is expressed between Black men, examining the lives of female refugees, veterans, recovering addicts, and victims of gun violence. The artists featured in this exhibition include Irma Bohorquez-Geisler, Nancy La Lanne, Kathy Shorr, Stephanie Graham, and myself, Ann Rosen.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

What I consider to be my current success has come after returning to art and photography, following the time I spent raising a family and working as a full-time educator. At this point in my career, perseverance and commitment are essential. I’ve also learned how to communicate more clearly about my goals and needs to others, helping me achieve what I seek. Finally, understanding and being sensitive to the humanity in others is a crucial lesson I’ve come to value. If one works on these issues diligently and stays true to oneself, you’re already halfway there.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

This year, I returned to curating after many years. I organized an exhibition that focuses on issues deeply important to me and began researching female photographers who explore themes at the intersection of photography and social justice. This led to the creation of Capturing Dignity, an exhibition that examines themes of community and portraiture expressed with dignity and respect.
Through this process, I learned that curating involves much more than organizing artists and selecting the works to be included in the show. It requires writing press releases, creating loan agreements, coordinating schedules for events related to the exhibition, booking installers, and maintaining communication with the gallery director to ensure that all the necessary dates and logistics are in place for the exhibition to run smoothly.

Contact Info:

Image Credits  

1. Ann Rosen, Installation of Being Seen, Part II, Five Myles Gallery, 2023
2. Irma Bohorquez-Geisler, Jocelyn Alfaro, 2005
3. Ann Rosen, Madina, from Being Seen project, 2022
4. Kathy Shorr, Latrice, 2021
5. Stephanie Graham, Love You Bro, 2018
6. Nancy La Lanne, It’s True, Thank You, 2023

 

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