PULLMAN, Wash. – Anna-Maria Shannon, interim director of the WSU Museum of Art, was appointed Aug. 1 to the board of the Washington State Arts Commission.
Shannon was one of three new board members named by Gov. Jay Inslee at the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) board meeting held Aug. 1-2 in Wenatchee. The other two appointees are Andre Bouchard, principal and founder of Walrus Arts Management and Consulting in Vancouver, and Wesley Jessup, director of the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane.
Each of the 19 governor-appointed ArtsWA board members serve three-year terms.
Shannon began her career at the WSU Museum of Art, museum.wsu.edu, in 1998 as art docent coordinator. She was quickly promoted to associate director in 2002. In October 2016, she was named the museum’s interim director.
Among her many community activities, Shannon is the founding member and past long-time chair of the Pullman Arts Commission. In 2016, she received the Pullman Arts Commission’s Mayor’s award recognizing over 20 years of community involvement in the arts. She also serves as board chair of the WSU Campus Arts Commission, and as the Western Regional Representative to the board of the Alliance of Academic Museums and Galleries.
The Museum of Art, like ArtsWA, is committed to the idea that a museum has a responsibility to recognize the creative talent of its region.
“Our over-arching goal is to support creativity and innovation to seek out divergent opinions, examine complex issues from a variety of perspectives and find meaning in the world,” Shannon said.
See the ArtsWA site for more information on the board.
Media Contacts:
Debby Stinson, Museum of Art/WSU, 509-335-6282, debby_stinson@wsu.edu
Anna-Maria Shannon, interim director, Museum of Art/WSU, 509-335-6140, annamshannon@wsu.edu