MARIAN WOLFS
Originally from The Netherlands where I was schooled in horticulture, floristry, and landscape architecture, I moved to New Zealand with a young family. Living in Nelson, known for its stunning natural environment and vibrant arts and crafts scene, I felt immediately at home. After a few years I decided to study visual arts (painting). However, sustaining an arts practice comes with its challenges so I considered myself very fortunate when I landed a job as the art gallery manager at the World of Wearable Art Museum. My role included organizing and curating exhibitions, and I got to know some great New Zealand painters, sculptors, ceramicists and other creatives.
Love is what brought me to Cairns after meeting my musician husband some years prior in New Zealand. I started working as program manager at KickArts (now Northsite) as part of a vibrant team whilst also continuing my own arts practice. It was during that time that two colleagues and I went to TAFE together to study ceramics taught by Kerry Grierson in the evening. It was the start of my current path and a slow shift in main focus from painting into ceramics, but not until after I had a solo exhibition (abstract painting) at the Cairns Art Gallery. Realizing that it takes ‘ten thousand hours” to master a craft, I intended a year sabbatical to play with clay, but was relieved to be asked and offered a part-time job at the Cairns Art Gallery after a few months. In the years that followed I developed some of the education and learning programs alongside exhibitions. This was a new area of Gallery and Museum programming for me, which, I discovered, I really enjoyed. How lucky was I to have been part of an era at the Gallery in which it evolved its contemporary exhibition program and collection, becoming a leading Australian, regional gallery.
The last few years have seen me completely taking the leap to be an artist full-time. Ceramics occupy most of my creative time at the moment. I have a tiny, but fully functioning studio at home surrounded by a large garden. From time to time I give workshops in drawing & painting, and in ceramics. A highlight for me is facilitating ceramic workshops in a remote indigenous art centre and community up Cape York. It is a privilege and wonderful feeling to be able to share and exchange knowledge and experience, and help ignite creativity in others.
My love for the natural environment, for gardens and gardening has always run as a beautiful thread throughout my life. So, if I am not in my studio, you can find me there.
