Rising Stars: Meet Anna P. Sutton of Los Angeles / OC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna P. Sutton.

Anna P., we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I never set out to become the artist I am today. In fact, I was told early on that art was not a career I could make a living from. Ironically, after spending years as a musician and educator, going through serious injuries and a life changing accident, art is what brought me back to myself.

When I graduated from Ontario High School, I was a music major and drum major. I played nine different instruments and thought music would be my career. When I enrolled at Riverside Community College, I started seeing how difficult it was for even incredibly talented musicians to support themselves. I knew that struggle personally, and my parents had always encouraged me to choose a more stable path, so I became an educator.

I worked for the Ontario Montclair School District for more than ten years. While going to school, I worked four jobs: as a counselor, a tutor, at AutoZone, and with the Early Head Start program.

Then a series of work injuries left me bedridden for years. That was when I returned to art. I studied the masters and began making the work my own. Frida Kahlo became an important influence because she understood how to turn lived experience into something visual and powerful. Eventually, I had the opportunity to learn from artists including Solomon Huerta and Michel Comte.

During the filming of The Girl from Nagasaki, I experienced a severe electrical accident during the final scene we filmed. I was shocked for approximately fifteen minutes. The recovery took more than a decade, and I still live with the repercussions of that injury. This year, I have also endured two emergency surgeries.

Today, I am an artist and curator. My work has grown into creating exhibitions, connecting artists with opportunities, and bringing art into communities and spaces where people may not normally encounter it. I work with local and emerging artists because I understand what it means to need someone to open a door for you.

What I do now is deeply connected to everything I have lived through. I create because I have something to say, and I curate because I believe other artists deserve to have their voices heard too. My community has become an extension of my practice, and creating those connections has become just as important to me as what happens on the canvas.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. When I was running The Vault Gallery, in DTLA I was doing much of it on my own while trying to create opportunities, maintain friendships, and build community. I learned quickly that when friendship, art, and business overlap, things can become complicated.

I’m not afraid to say what’s on my mind, and sometimes that has gotten me into trouble. I’ve had to learn the power of my words and that how you say something can be just as important as what you’re saying. Words carry weight, especially when you’re working with people and building community.

I’ve been hurt by people I considered friends, especially when relationships changed after I had created space or opportunities for them. I’m not perfect, and I’ve had to learn from my own mistakes, but integrity has always mattered to me. I once volunteered for a nonprofit where standing up for the community ultimately meant being told I was no longer welcome. Sometimes standing by your principles closes one door.

But other doors open. They continue to open because I am a person of purpose. I’m not a professional curator or gallery owner. I do this because I care about art, culture, and community, and I believe there is room for everyone to shine.

It’s dangerous to love everyone without boundaries, and that has been one of my lessons. It has taught me to choose my words more carefully, protect my integrity, and keep creating spaces where people can feel seen. I love my city. LA all day.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work is primarily oil painting, with a strong focus on portraiture, symbolism, and storytelling. I also create three dimensional work, and one of the visual languages I’ve developed is pixelation. It was influenced by my experience in the film The Girl from Nagasaki, but it also became deeply personal to me.

I have experienced syncope throughout my life, and one of the sensations I experience before fainting is that my vision begins to pixelate. I began translating that visual experience into my work, turning something my body experiences into an artistic language.

My paintings are bold and intentional, often drawing from Mexican and Los Angeles culture, identity, history, and the imagery that has shaped me. I’m interested in taking something familiar and making people see it differently.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Determination has probably been the biggest factor in my success. When I believe in something, I stay with it. I’m willing to put in the work, figure things out as I go, and keep moving even when things don’t happen the way I expected.

Integrity is just as important. I care about doing things the right way, being honest with myself and with other people, and being able to stand behind my decisions.

I think those qualities have allowed me to build something that feels genuine to me. I’m still learning, but I’ve never stopped moving forward.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @anna.p.Sutton