Anna Wilding

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Anna Wilding Charitable Giving Non Profits

Anna Wilding Charitable giving most of the work I do has an altruistic bent. Years ago, in 2009 I founded a registered non profit- the Wilding Foundation. I closed it around 2018 as I was unable to spend the time in overseas to focus on it.As a registered charity its overall unique official charter -as written in 2009, was to provide opportunity to those of exceptional talents whose dreams, hopes and talents could otherwise not be realized due to economics, geographic location or other such factors. It intended to raise the well being of, and empower the individual and create equal opportunity and to give people faith, hope and opportunity to individuals of all backgrounds to succeed regardless of circumstance. The dream of this charity was personal to me for many reasons.

Many years ago, I was that kid on the tennis court, taking that swing, making those shots and I was unable to take it any further. I was invited to train in Florida with the king of tennis training Bolitteri, but our family, literally, could not afford it. Meanwhile, I watched girls I could beat, and did so, in tournaments, be afforded themselves the opportunity to go to Florida. It touched me. Our earth, our world is a beautiful place. It is filled with wonder. I am touched every time I watch the better sides of humanity in action.As a kid I grew up in a remote country. I know first hand what it’s like to be talented and have to face struggles as one isn’t surrounded by the expertise required and/or financial wherewithal to fully reach or experience one’s true potential. I founded the charity in the hope it eased the path for others and some of the journey I have been on.

Through the charity I was able to give to several individual, including Commonwealth athlete- gymnast Charlotte Sullivan. When earthquakes decimated the town I was born in Christchurch New Zealand I was able to kick in the emergency charter and raise money and give it all to those deserving. Families that had lost power ,exlectrices, houses, clothing. I partnered with other organizations to identify and to reach those in need.

I dropped my NFT Mesmerize on Makers Place in June 2021, with photos from my Celebrate Hope Obama Collection that toured in multiple art galleries with more shows to come. I thought long and hard and researched to which organizations I would give a portion of proceeds to. I kept coming back to the the Girls Opportunity Alliance and My Brothers Keeper. Both initiatives run by the Obama’s through the Obama Foundation. I know My Brothers Keeper reaches deep into the heart of communities in Americas a.I know and have witnessed first hand the hard work Ms Obama has put into girls education in America and throughout the world .

Anna Wilding Charitable Giving

I hope you all enjoy Mesmerize on it’s journey and continue joining with me to make the world a better place

Anna Wilding – Tennis, Wimbledon Grand Slam

Anna Wilding : I was just sent this article As we watch Wimbledon let us remember some of it’s history as we look forward. May 9, 1915: The day Anthony Wilding, the first tennis superstar, was killed in World War I and my forbear. I am now his closest descendent.it is interesting-as my name grew in the world for my own work then some smart broadcasters in in America Europe noticed I may be related. My late Dad was his closest surviving relative, and he passed the baton to me. Anthony Wilding had no children.He dated and lived with silent screen star Maxine Elliot. In those days sports was not paid professionally.I am the one who protects his legacy .I have also done most of the research throughout the world. Yes it would be great to make a film. Some quotes from the article
“However, no matter how outstanding his results were, Anthony Wilding didn’t become a legend only because of his success at tennis, but also because of his charisma.
“Anthony was an icon and good looking,” explained his great niece Anna Wilding, according to the BBC. “He was like a movie star, but on the tennis court. Tennis hadn’t ever had anyone like that, with that combination of charm, decorum and adventure. Imagine the Great Gatsby era, but he was the real deal, the toast of society. He stayed with kings and queens and prime ministers. Women swooned and fainted.” Described by his Davis Cup teammate, Norman Brookes, as “one of the finest specimens of manhood”, he was about to marry an actress, Maxine Elliott, when World War I began.” Here is the original BBC interview

#tennis #wimbledon #legends

Anna Wilding – Food as fuel for directors, filmmakers, photographers & everyone

Anna Wilding Okay this subject matter is a bit off the beaten track for me, but it is what I do in my day to day life. I do get asked this. In the film business I was working 12-18 hour days and at one point did 72 hours straight. I will never forget that. I was Art Director and Set Decorator and my business partner and colleague Production Designer was Jack C . We had some ridiculous hurdles to cross including absurd time frames for set designs and builds. We met all of them of course ,with little to no sleep for 10 days, as that is just what one did in those days. Exhausting . All sorts of things come up in production. On another film we were filming on set in Los Angeles but the rest of the movie had shot in Asia. The movie used Asian coconuts which could not be sourced in Los Angeles. At 2am as we frantically tried to build a replica coconut, as it was an important scene . Funny but true.The coconut was critical. (I agree there are far more important critical circumstances in life..but not when you are on a film, apparently still true even now) We actually seriously debated finding a commercial or charter flight to Hawaii to go and pick one up in Hawaii and return within 18 hours. Obviously this was 20 years ago before FedEx and UPS have the kind of networks they have now. But yes all sorts of adventures. So what is important getting through days like this. Your health and fitness. Food as fuel.To keep going whether you are in medicine, photography, film, whatever it may be – it is important to pay attention to what you eat. Everyone has different tastes and body needs. Don’t try to fight that, you know what you need but just be aware. Also be aware of what you want versus what you need as fuel. I never add salt to my food, but love peppers. I love chocolate so have to really watch that.
Here are some tips:

Chocolate- great for energy – choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate
Moderate or don’t add salt to your food, it probably has it anyway.
Drink electrolytes if in hot climates . Salt tablets from REI can be good and only $2.49
Reduce intake of harmful fats. Check the labels
Be active even when not working. Try and walk a mile to two at least per day.
Eat salads where possible and reduce starches and carbohydrates.

These are just general suggestions to maintain a healthy diet and energy levels. I don’t eat red meat but make sure to eat fish or chicken at least once or twice a week

Thanks Anna Wilding
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Buddha Wild Directed by Anna Wilding -feature documentary film

Anna Wilding Buddha Wild was a great movie to make and I am still in touch with the community. It is a happy film about Loving Kindness but also has several other sub texts. I live in America. Recently there has been a lot of talk about racism in America and against Asians.This was the subtext of my Buddha Wild film ten years or so ago. I was compelled to make it due to an instance of racism I witnessed overseas in New Zealand. Buddha Wild did well in cinemas and sold out through Warner Bros on DVD. It went to #1 in its feature documentary category . In a way it was ahead of it’s time. I was called the female “Morgan Spurlock” as it did well in cinemas and we both are not without humor.. It also marked only the 100th time a female director had a film screen in cinemas for more than 7 days. Yes there are research universities that track these sorts of things. I remember Hollywood Reporter did these great ads for it”In Consideration For” – I still have the copies- as it was a front runner for the Oscars one year..but sadly my late Mum announced she had terminal breast cancer at the same time -and that was important -so I never pursued it. Plus there were tow other factors as well..which take up too much time to drill down on..nonetheless it was a popular film , looked and sounded great on the big screen it was made for. I loved the fact it made such a positive difference to people’s lives

There may be an online version on Amazon but it is not first generation so the quality is not at Cinema or DVD standard it was initially made. In addition to cinema Buddha Wild film also sold to educational institutions ,libraries and museums around the world “Buddha Wild directed and produced by Anna Wilding provides viewers with a well-judged glimpse into the monastery world of the Buddhist Monk and the real world of those who follow the precepts and principals of Buddhism. The documentary centers on the life of the Buddhist monks. They are a kind lot of warm hearted and enlightened men who are eager to share their religious doctrines of faith. Buddha Wild is a journey of discovery. The monks are honest in the telling of their lives, hopes, and disappointments. They speak freely about their lives, limitedly about the absence of physical closeness and sexual activity, and in depth about the world challenges faced by a Buddhist. The monks were clearly enamored by Ms. Wilding and their generosity of information from taboo subjects exhibits this fact. It appears that being a monk is not so much a calling as a culture. There is a break from the seriousness of the narration with the invitation by one of the Monk’s to visit his hut – hence the title “The Monk in a Hut.” (60 min.)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayodV-6H2NY

Anna Wilding : No I Did Not Plan To Sue The Obama’s Publishers

Anna Wilding The thing with tabloids and other sites they engage in not telling the truth to drive engagement. A great shame as great, real stories do not get out. So here are some fast facts that correct a tabloid headline. As both one of the top magazines in Europe and American Slate magazine so rightly noted, I did not threaten to sue the Obamas publishers over Obama’s book cover. Nor did I ever say I would, nor was I even thinking about it. The fact I put out an instagram post pointing out the likeness of both photographs, does not mean I planned to sue. Why on earth would I do that ?Those words never uttered my lips. Makes no sense. Please readers excuse fake click bait headlines, tabloid hacks and self published non credible gossip blogs . I cannot be responsible for what they make up to generate clicks. I will take this time though to correct it below though.

photos: Raymond Dunn : Rodney Allen Rippy , Ricoh Anderson at Anna Wilding’s exhibition Celebrate Hope

Quite conversely, I had some very pleasant direct phone and letter exchanges with Penguin Publishing ,experts in their field, over the matter of Obama’s book cover, who had this to say:

“Your photograph, “When An Invitation Wasn’t A Question”, is a beautiful and remarkable photo. What makes it so compelling is the scope of the image beyond that of just President Obama in a familiar pose of modesty and bemusement (the President smiling, head bent, eyes downcast), that portrays the reactions of almost a dozen young men (members of the Denver Broncos football team, visiting the White House to honor their Super Bowl victory in 2016) gathered around the President, energized and captivated by his presence and remarks. It is a stunning photograph.”

and Slate had this to say in a very humorous review and fresh take I thought

“…..mostly because her picture was much better than the cover photo, and it’s a shame anyone would think they look alike. In Anna Wilding’s photo, Obama’s smile seems natural and friendly; his eyes are crinkled in what looks like sincere, thoughtful amusement. The portrait on the front of A Promised Land, by contrast, registers as some carefully calculated midpoint between the impression of warmth and the impression of gravitas.”

Now there is far more depth to “When an Invitation Wasn’t a Question”. I called the photograph that to remind viewers of the time when one received an invitation to the White House ,one would go, without question. It was an honor. During the Trump administration invitee’s literally thought twice about going.

Raymond Dunn photos: Allison Arngrim , Anson Williams at Anna Wilding’s exhibition Celebrate Hope

Hope that clears this up regarding Penguin Publishing . In fact I have never been sued nor sued anyone.I am not ,by nature , litigious. To learn more read the Georgian Journal. A quote from that article here ” I have also shown in major exhibits with some legendary photographers such as Pulitzer Prize-winner Nick Ut and Douglas Kirkland. (laughing) But seriously, on this matter, I have had a lot of support. One or two trollers on the internet tried to attack me. All I can say to that is they don’t know the histology of photography well they didn’t give up what they were doing and take the care to serve the country and be at the White House, and they certainly didn’t bother or care to do an exhibit of the first black American President – I did. Look I have a friend who shot some well-known shots of the Kennedy’s at the White House and this has happened to him in the past – ad agencies, publishers, and others trying to replicate his shots and he had to go and get recompense too. He solved the instances without lawsuits. I hope and intend to as well. It happens and it’s time for us all to ensure it stops happening. Our work has value and if Penguin and the parties involved do not honor the prior work – in a way it devalues the work of many professional and iconic photographers. We deserve our livelihood. It also devalues me as a woman and is yet another female oversight as yet again a man was hired, instead of a woman and a woman who did the defining work and stunning work in the first place.”

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Open tweet to New Zealander David F after his 3 Years of His Cyber Stalking Me

So my work puts me front and center of many issues and I have attracted a particularly nasty troll who I call out below. I was quoted recently in LA Times..and my quote is very appropo to people like this

David F

Stop harassing me, stop stalking me, stop writing about me, stop your obsession. I have never met you. YOU were rude & chauvenistic to me 3 years ago. I called you out on it in 1 brief 1 line email 3 years ago. Your ego couldn’t take it as then you attacked me & have had your trolls attack me, like Dylan Reeve & others non stop. You were sent a PRIVATE Cease & Desist letter, you ignored it, called it “cat nip ” for a guy like you, and then published the private Cease and Desist trying to garner sympathy for your wrongdoing. Since then , while I have been tending to ill family members and more, you have TRIED to destroy my reputation & career across multiple sites including on Wikipedia under pseudonyms. For 3 years you have done this.

Three years ! You cant play victim when YOU are the one who caused all the pain and the one doing it and won’t stop. And when my family was dying. Shame on you.You have published private emails where I have expressed genuine concern about your behaviour PRIVATELY to 1 or 2 colleagues in NZ(that’s all) and in defense of the utter BS defamation you are spreading for your personal gain to get subscribers on your blog & clicks. You are playing Victim yet you are the perpetrator. I have never spoken to you. I have not read your blogs but have it on good authority You keep writing slander, defamation, cyber bullying, making things up & then playing victim. When a woman stands up and defends herself against you & your cyberbullying & your trolling you launch another attack.I don’t even know you I don’t want to. I should not have to write this.You were given a Cease & Desist when my father was dying. Leave me alone & go away. For the last time. For God’s sake stop writing about me, you know nothing , nor is it your right to know anything about me. You are the definition of a bully, cyberstalker & harasser.

You breach privacy(marked confidential) harass me, repeatedly write about me, lies and slander, set your trolls on me-this is the definition of obsessed.All because I called you out quickly 3 years ago .You are obsessed & using me for clickbait. & the sickening thing is it is 2021 – the entire world is against cyberbullying & harassment of women except New Zealanders David F, Dylan Reeve & his trolls-who know 0 about my life my career in the United States, New Zealand or anywhere.

OPEN TWEET TO NEW ZEALANDER DAVID FARRIER after HIS 3 years of his cyber stalking me.

Anna Wilding : Exhibiting in Art Galleries and Obama exhibit

Anna wilding love visiting art galleries. I make a point of it every city I am in. I have a small art collection I am growing every year. Conversely it has been an honor to start having my bodies of work selected by galleries for exhibit. My feature films play in cinemas at times, and my music videos play on various platforms like VH1 , MTV but there is something special and unique about holding an art exhibit that personally I cherish.

I have been fortunate to show at three galleries as a solo exhibitor – month long shows and the Leica Gallery as part of group exhibits and now live auctions on platforms such as Makers Place and Super Rare. As we head into 2021 shows that were cancelled due to the pandemic are now back in talks for 2021 and 2022 including in Europe.I am even more fortunate and thankful that work has sold at each Gallery by amazing collectors located all over the world. In terms of the physical space some of the galleries I have shown in have been large contemporary multi million dollar galleries and art centers and others smaller and historic but pack no less of a punch. All are significant and well respected galleries .

My shows were packed and I enjoyed meeting and greeting guests at the openings and other occasions. My work of the Obama’s -Celebrate Hope -the Obama Collection – is a significant project that I took great care with and has taken years to build and make. I launched it in Black History Month in America in 2019. I am also excited to learn that the two beautiful portraits by artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald of President Obama and Mrs Michelle Obama have left the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery and are now on display at the Chicago Institute of Art. I will definately be viewing these two hand painted portraits as they tour around America.

Check my latest work at Anna wilding

Anna Wilding – Moving between Mediums Key Skills Of A Creative

There are many ways to either tell a story , or , as an artist, to be creative. I have a diverse body of work with certain subtexts and themes prevalent. These subtexts and themes are what drives me and compels me. I discuss these when my work is being screened or in art gallery shows or when speaking at events or panels. The mediums I use however, to deliver the work, can be varied.That may be unusual however for me it works as I like pushing boundaries creatively and technically .

One thing I learned based at the White House , coming from a feature film background and then moving back into still photography – where I was first published as a teenager in magazines, was that, as creator, it didn’t matter what medium I choose or end up telling the story in or creating the piece of artwork. That is part of my process.

For example, creating my Obama NFT’s has been a riveting experience on it’s own and certainly resulted in some stunning pieces that serve the purpose of my doing the work in the first place. NFT’s are non fungible tokens which some fine art and digital artists are using to create unique works of art that are tied to the blockchain as identifiers. Something like that. Many new platforms are setting up to sell these tokens and some platforms now even take credit cards, not only cryptocurrency , which means the art is now accessible to many collectors, including those not involved in the crypto market.

The crypto market is often in flux as the world learns more how to use and apply the new technology amd through all its trials and tribulations. Prices are going up and down so it is not great for medium to conservative investors. This article is by no means to be construed as any kind of advice whether to get involved in these new markets. One thing of concern is the environmental concerns in bitcoin mining . Many are working hard to figure out a better way and there are some promising signs.

Elon Musk recently caused a stir in the world by converting millions of his Tesla stock to bitcoin,then after learning more of enroimnemtal issues – converting it back to normal currency. Elon Musk said on twitter “When there’s confirmation of reasonable (~50%) clean energy usage by miners with positive future trend, Tesla will resume allowing bitcoin transactions,” Musk posted to Twitter, replying to a Cointelegraph piece . This news caused the bitcoin price to dip sharply..but then a few weeks later, he caused it to rise when he expressed belief that more responsible environmental management and positive development was happening and environmental cryptocurrency is being developed.

It is still a very new space and it will be interesting to see what develops. Hold onto your wallets no matter which kind of currency you use..traditional or new. But remember to support art, artists love their work being collected and art collecting can be great and very personal adventure. Be safe everyone.