Career change from book editor to professional artist
It’s great being able to have the time to develop ideas’.
Ann Roworth was working for a scholarly publisher when she decided it was time for a change in direction.
Roworth, 28, of Brisbane had always been a keen painter, so when she was given the task of editing maths textbooks, she knew it was a sign to chase a new goal.
“Creatively I’m hoping to have a career as a professional artist,’’ she says. “But I’d also like to move into arts administration and community arts to help make sure that art is accessible to a wide range of people.’’
Keeping her options open, Roworth also hopes her recent art studies at the Southbank Institute of Technology will help her if she ever decides to go back to publishing.
“It does help with editing if you have a niche going on,’’ she says.
Roworth is one of the first students graduating from the Diploma of Visual Arts at the institute since it relocated to its new state-of-the-art, purpose-built premises.
“It’s been a really positive experience for me,’’ she says. “The most stimulating aspects have been working with a great bunch of people and seeing them develop their work over two years, and getting to experiment with different aspects of the visual arts, like printmaking and ceramics, I might not have otherwise.’’
Roworth decided on the diploma because it also covered arts administration, the business of art, desktop publishing and websites-all things designed to help students learn about turning artistic talent into a viable career.
It was through word-of-mouth and with the help of her new skills that Roworth scored her new casual job at the Gallery of Modern Art working in the children’s activity centre.
“I found out through one of the teachers that the gallery was calling for expressions of interest, so I applied,’’ she says.
“I’m the first point of contact for families to show them how to go through the kids’ activities and talk about how the works in the main exhibition, Optimism, relate to the kids activities. It’s really exciting to be involved in something like that.’’
Roworth does not intend to further her art studies, having already attained a Bachelor of Arts and Graduate Certificate in Publishing and Editing.
“I think this is it for me. I’ve been to uni before, and although some people want to go on to further study, I’m coming from the reverse angle and doing it more as a career-changing thing,’’ she says.
Roworth mainly works with mixed media, but for her final graduation exhibition she did a performance art piece.
“I’m also into installation, using ink and gouache on watercolour paper, and I’ve been experimenting with ink runs, charcoal and other media,’’ she says.
“Art is incredibly inspiring. I can really get in there and get hands on with it. It’s great being able to have the time to develop ideas and form your thoughts about issues that interest you or affect you. I like the process-driven nature of it but I also really enjoy the conceptual development involved in creating art.’’
Facts
NAME: Ann Roworth
AGE: 28
PROFILE: Roworth has completed a two-year full-time Diploma of Visual at the Southbank Institute of Technology
INFO: 137 248 or www.southbank.edu.au
Free info night at Southbank Institute of Technology for the Creative Industries on Dec 2 at 6pm. Call 137 248 for more info.
