Moving to San Diego was only partially my decision (my husband had an offer to work here). Moving to California was always a dream, so I was (and still am!) delighted to live in San Diego. Coming from Paris, one would think that, by comparison, San Diego is not as great an art place; but things are definitely changing, and great things are happening now in places far from the New Yorks, Londons, and Berlins of the world.

I am happy to live here and to work here. There is more space and, needless to say, the weather is great. I feel more free here than in Paris to do what I want. In France people have a tendency to judge your art quickly and to categorize artists. Trends are huge in Paris, which I think is not necessarily healthy for an artist.San Diego has a lot of potential. The town needs more galleries, and the artists need to be more committed to selling their work for the price it is worth, whether the work is sold from their studio or from a gallery. This is an important step for the community to become more professional. I really appreciate the work of the Contemporary Museum of Art, in both of their locations (downtown and in La Jolla). They bring to the scene a very interesting collection of work, and I appreciate their efforts to organize great discussions with artists. I absolutely love the new sculpture by Nancy Rubins hanging from the roof of their building in la Jolla. I very often attend the "Kettner street nights", and I also frequently visit the galleries I enjoy.

I appreciate that an organization like the San Diego Art Institute (SDAI) exists; it really helps artists, and I have met very interesting people through the SDAI. Nothing like that exist in Paris and I was very surprised to discover it here!