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Self Portrait - 2015
Anita Louise Martinez was born in a small border town in Ontario December 3, 1939, and at the ripe old age of 8 she won a tiny Brownie Camera, which opened up her love for the wonderful world of photography; by age 15 she left her hometown and began traveling. Anita traveled to various places in the world including Toronto, North Bay, Ontario, the Upper Peninsula, Michigan, New York, and Japan. Anita eventually settled in New Mexico to singlehandedly raise 6 wonderful children, and in 1983 she moved to beautiful Nova Scotia, Canada, where she chose to celebrate the second half of her journey through life by exploring the beautiful Nova Scotia and getting to know fantastic folks there and around the world.
Anita has numerous degrees from Colleges and Universities around the world including; cake decorating from Japan, a Nursing degree from the University of New Mexico. While living in Niagara Falls she taught cake decorating and earned her degree in photography and wood working and was able to enjoy attending numerous workshops conducted by New Brunswick’s own, Canadian Photographer, Freeman Patterson. Anita also attended Nova Scotia College of Art and Design night classes, followed by 3 years at NSCC in Halifax where she earned her degree in Photography, Graphic Design and Digital Imaging. Anita also completed various workshops’ including; drug and alcohol counseling, suicide workshops, Co-operative housing workshops, etc.
Since moving to Halifax, Anita has served on various boards and committee’s such as; PLURA (Presbyterian, Lutheran, United, Roman Catholic, and Anglican churches), Halifax Transition House Association, the National Transition House Association, Urban Core Support Network, Second Stage Housing Association, Take Back Night Committee, the International Women’s Day Planning Committee, Pandora Women’s Newspaper, and WAYVES news paper. For years Anita served as Membership coordinator on Lamplight Housing Cooperative Board and was President of PSAC Union until 1992 at the Halifax Transition House. Anita also served on the board of Women’s Employment Outreach and when “Dawn Canada” was held in Nova Scotia, she was honored to be part of the organizing team. Anita was a constant support person with the Nova Scotia’s Person’s with AIDS (PWA’s) Coalition.
Anita has worked for years documenting many local and national organizations and currently has works in the Nova Scotia Public Archives and over the years has also been published in various periodicals, magazines and books in Japan, New Mexico, New York, and Canada. She is currently working with Nova Scotia Public Archives to supply them with archival documentation of various committees and organizations.
Pride 2012
Anita is a passionate mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, freind, cake decorator, fisherperson, gardener, chef, photographer and designer, activist, people watcher, and a lifelong friend of Nova Scotia, its people, and the various diverse communities on the East Coast of Canada. Anita has been involved in numerous events, committees and organizations including the Peace Movement, Women’s rights and empowerment organizations, LGBTQI rights, and is a staunch defender of equal rights for all. Anita has been a long time activist in Nova Scotia and worldwide, and intends to keep doing so as long as she has "two feet and a heart beat"