Inspiring Conversations with Marie McGhee of ASDM Art Institute

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marie McGhee.

Hi Marie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum’s Director of the Art Institute, whose mission is “Conservation through Art Education.” In my role at the museum, I oversee the management of the traveling permanent art collection, the duration of eight or more shows per year, and the planning and delivery of over 200 art classes.

My goal is to ensure that we provide a high-quality and readily accessible visual arts experience that helps our community better understand not only the importance of conservation but also the role they can play in it. I have almost two decades of experience in leading lifelong learning programs, including 13 years at the University of New Mexico’s Division of Continuing Education.

We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a part of the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum has been a tremendous joy. Our job at the Art Institute is to connect people to the natural world through their art practice and that is a genuine privilege. The road has been fairly smooth but slightly curved.

My experience over the past 15 years has been in adult life-long learning, which has made aspects of this job much easier. The intricacies of running a program fully focused on one subject, art, have been fun. It has allowed me to concentrate on growing each part of our program more deeply.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The mission of the ASDM Art Institute is “Conservation through Art Education.” We endeavor to engage people in nature-focused art classes with the goal of creating conservation advocates. To this end, we offer art classes, art exhibits, and stewardship of the museum art collection for area residents and visitors from across the United States and around the world.

The Art Institute’s overarching goal is to provide a high-quality visual arts experience for all ages. Classes are taught by professionals and relate to our living collections and the region. Art exhibits are curated to inspire a new way of thinking about the natural world. The permanent traveling collection is used to educate people about our region in faraway places. In the fiscal year 2019, the art institute served 1291 students and offered 228 different art and photography classes, taught by 27 instructors. Students came from 31 different states and four different countries.

Two students graduated from the certificate program and there were 135 brand-new students who entered the program. Additionally, 13 visiting master artist workshops took place.

Vanishing Circles is a permanent collection of original paintings depicting disappearing wildlife, plants, and habitats of the Sonoran Desert, created by internationally renowned artists. In 2019 the museum added two paintings to the collection. Vanishing Circles will continue to grow and travel, acting as a multi-media interpretive tool for the Sonoran Desert region and inspiring conservation through visual arts education. In addition, the museum has a small permanent collection of 48 art pieces that comprise the Sonoran Collection. These pieces are rotated and permanently displayed throughout the museum.

The Ironwood Gallery and Baldwin Education Gallery host 8 to 12 different exhibits throughout the year and display over 400 unique pieces of art by over 200 different artists. These art exhibits serve the mission of the desert museum by extending the museum experience and interpreting both habitat and wildlife to our visitors. There are 58 volunteers who give their time to keep the gallery open to the public, 7 days a week. Our visitors are guaranteed an accessible, educational experience that promotes appreciation and understanding of the Sonoran Desert.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
Our goal is “Conservation Through Art Education” and that includes everyone.

We invite people to visit our galleries, and maybe find inspiration from the works on exhibit. Take classes with us, and learn something new that can spark your creative spirit.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.desertmuseumarts.com/
• Instagram: @desertmuseumart
• Facebook: ArtInstitue & Ironwood Gallery