About the Artist

 

Art, music, and performance have been an elaborate part of Annie Hooten’s life. From theatre and painting to dance and jewelry making, she has a touch and an eye for creative work. Born in Miami, Florida to a pioneering reconstructive and plastic surgeon father and a nurturing mother who encouraged her talents with much enthusiasm, she was introduced to the arts and rich cultural experiences at an early age.

For most of her adult life, Annie lived in Switzerland, Singapore and Australia, immersing herself in local culture and creative events. For many of those years, she was a Folk Artist and owned a retail shop and teaching studio in Melbourne, Australia.

After relocating to Albuquerque, New Mexico, Annie put aside her paint brushes and took up polymer clay work, which has become a deep passion. She is a member of both her local and National Polymer Clay Guilds and also teaches polymer clay techniques. Currently Annie’s work can be seen at the Art Gallery 66 in Bernalillo, NM, (visit www.artgallery66.net and click on "Some of Our Artists" to view her work) and at several New Mexico Art Fairs throughout the year. Her work was showcased in the Fine Arts Division of the 2007 NM State Fair and she was awarded five ribbons in the Arts and Crafts Division.

Annie is also dedicated to the local community and has been actively involved as a Big Sister with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House, has been a fundraising mentor for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (currently fundraising and training for a sprint triathlon coming up in April and a century bike ride in June) and organizes walking teams for American Cancer Society events.