Listen to this note:
San Mateo County announced Aimee Shapiro as the new executive director of the San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture.
Shapiro, raised amid New York City’s wealth of museums and cultural events, comes to the county from the Anderson Collection, Stanford University’s free museum of modern and contemporary American art, where she served as director of programming and engagement, working with artists, performers, students and the local community.
She now brings her energy and enthusiasm for the creative arts to the county, where she will play a central role in shaping the San Mateo County Arts Commission's strategic plan.
“San Mateo County is home to a diverse range of communities, backgrounds and cultures with amazing events, exhibits, workshops, performances and cultural programming,” Shapiro said. “Arts and culture should be accessible to everyone in San Mateo County, and by creating a strong arts network in our area, we can create even stronger connections with each other.”
While the county sponsors several exhibition spaces, there is no main museum or cultural exhibit hall in San Mateo County. Shapiro’s mission is to foster and advocate for local arts and cultural groups while addressing equity gaps in education and access to the arts.
According to the city, Shapiro will support the work of the 10-member Arts Commission, which serves as an advisory body to the Board of Supervisors and provides funding to local arts organizations and special events with an emphasis on underserved communities.
“What is clear is that Aimee has a true passion for uplifting all communities by championing arts and cultural displays,” said County Executive Mike Callagy. “She has a wealth of experience working with schools, nonprofits, local governments and, most of all, artists. We look forward to her bringing her talents to San Mateo County.”
Shapiro grew up in New York City and developed a passion for art and a personal interest in drawing. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College in Ohio and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.
She worked in the arts in Baltimore, New York, San Francisco, and East Lansing, Michigan, before joining Stanford's Anderson Collection in 2014.
At Anderson, he helped bring the work of a diverse range of artists to the public.
One of the main priorities of her new job will be to help forge relationships between artistic and cultural groups.
“My first goal is to listen,” Shapiro said. “I look forward to meeting with constituents across the county and learning what arts and culture means to their community and how they would like the Office of Arts and Culture to support that. The diversity of our county means there is a great diversity in need, awareness and accessibility.”
You may be interested in: Thirteen years of cultural transformation: Interview with Mauricio Galeano, Director of the District Institute of the Arts of Bogotá
