We were lucky to catch up with Anna Mesman recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Anna with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My work ethic stems from my parents. I have been lucky, and still am, to be close to both of them. Both have worked and been able to work their entire lives. My mother was a nurse for 47 years. Always a smile on her face when going to work. My love for the Arts comes from my father who also studied Art History. Initially I started with Law school, but within a few months I noticed this is not me. My parents were the ones to tell me ‘Why not study Art history? Lets worry about the future later’. It has kept me going during my years of study and afterwards when I got a lot of nay-sayers and raised eyebrows as to why I would study Art History. Work ethic for me is also related to do what you love and don’t focus only on what others paint as the perfect picture. Isn’t the perfect picture different to everyone?
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
During my studies I came across the Affordable Art Fair. Started as an intern 10 years ago and never left! My current role is development. In this role I am responsible to find the next city where we can inspire more people to buy art. Being part of the Affordable Art Fair brand is truly a privilege. Art does not have to be scary and it is not just for the connaisseur or the person with the deep pockets. Art is all around us and it enriches lives.
This year we launched the first edition of Affordable Art Fair Austin in Texas. An art market that evolves and transforms and we are honoured to now be part of that journey. In bringing the fair to Austin we connected with Cori Teague, who came onboard as the Director of the fair in 2024 and has a wealth of knowledge in the Austin art scene. Having these local connections is what makes our fairs so strong. We are excited that preparations for our second edition in May 2025 are well underway!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Being passionate about what I do, I don’t let other people tell me what that passion should be. Being resilient, playing sports helped me to understand it will take time to achieve something and to keep trying. You might fail the first time, but you will only get better. This goes hand in hand for me with being helpful. You can only become a better version of yourself, bring a company to a next level or achieve things in life if you do it together. Helping others in their journey and them helping you is what I find an important quality to have.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Feeling overwhelmed is part of live. It can be small or big, it might happen once or it happens often to you. It does not always have to have a negative connotation. When I feel overwhelmed I acknowledge that the feeling is there and try to understand why I am experiencing it. Slowing down is super important, you cannot feel if you are rushed or connected either in person or online. Disconnect, sit down, breathe and acknowledge that your body and mind have big feelings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://affordableartfair.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annamesman/
Image Credits
Headshot photo: William Maanders
Photo with Viva Magenta: Shaun James Cox
Photo with ‘Stop it’: Piers Allardyc – artist installation ‘Everyone Play Together’ by David Bellingham
Photo Affordable Art Fair: own photo
Photo of 4 people: Chris Allen
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
