The Wrightwood Arts Center will have a special photography exhibit featuring local artist Anita Arnold. The exhibit opens with a free community reception on Saturday, February 7th from 5pm-7pm and will remain open for public viewing throughout the month until February 28th, during the Wrightwood Art Center’s regular hours of operation, which is Friday-Sunday, 12:00pm-5:00pm at 6045 Park Dr. in Wrightwood.
Born and raised between Germany and South Korea, Anita Arnold has followed a life path guided by curiosity, creativity, and exploration. She came to the United States with plans to study art and potentially pursue a career in medical illustration, but her wide-ranging interests soon led her in unexpected directions. Those interests evolved into a fulfilling career in science and nursing, an ongoing adventure that now includes her role as an Associate Professor at San Bernardino Valley College.
While her professional life flourished in academia and healthcare, art remained a constant companion. From an early age, Arnold expressed herself creatively, spending countless hours drawing and sculpting animals. Art became her way of observing and experiencing the world, an approach that continues to shape her work today. She later worked as a portrait and wedding photographer during the era of film, further honing her eye for detail and storytelling.
Over the past decade, the demands of life caused art to temporarily recede, leaving behind a noticeable sense of absence. That creative space has since been joyfully reclaimed. With encouragement from the Wrightwood Art Center and the support of fellow local artists, Arnold has returned to making art in multiple forms.
Photography remains her primary medium. As one friend observed, she seems to see the world through a lens, a description Arnold readily embraces. In addition to photography, she draws, doodles, paints, and has recently begun sculpting, inspired by her time at the Wrightwood Art Center. Her work often blends media and imagery, reflecting the deep connection she sees between art and science. Throughout her education and teaching career, illustration has been a key learning tool, and she continues to recommend drawing to her students as a way to better understand complex concepts.
Arnold finds inspiration everywhere, including in nature, emotional and mental states, and in the colors and textures of the world around her. Spending time with others who share a passion for creativity is particularly rewarding. Rather than distant figures, she considers local photographers, painters, glassblowers, musicians, and artists her true artistic heroes, many of whom have become treasured friends.
When she’s not creating art, Anita Arnold enjoys teaching, hiking, mountain biking, and traveling. Her advice to fellow artists is both simple and sincere, “Enjoy the process, find a community of like-minded people and whatever you do – Don’t stop making art!”
