FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2005

Contact: Sarah McGreer
sarah@maaa.org

New M-AAA Director of Visual Arts and Humanities: Dee Harris

Kansas City, MO - Mid-America Arts Alliance has announced the appointment of Dee Harris as Director of Visual Arts and Humanities.

Harris, former Director of the Smoky Hill Museum in Salina, Kansas, recently led that institution through a five-year, $870,000 capital campaign.

“I felt that after the implementation of the Smoky Hill capital campaign, it was time to turn the reins over and look to new challenges in my career,” said Harris. “I have known about Mid-America Arts Alliance for some time through their work with museums across the region, and I am very excited to join them in this leadership role.”

As Director of Visual Arts and Humanities, Harris will provide directional planning, implementation, and analysis of all Visual Arts and Humanities activities. In addition, she will create strategies for future M-AAA exhibitions and other Visual Arts and Humanities projects, analyze the division's past performance, formulate budgetary needs, and oversee all financial management for the division.

Prior to her role at the Smoky Hill Museum, Harris worked for a number of Kansas cultural and educational institutions, including the Wichita Public Library, Butler Community College, Wichita's Old Cowtown Museum, and Wichita State College.

"Dee brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this position," said Mary Kennedy McCabe, M-AAA Executive Director. "She has academic and museum experience combined with fundraising and business acumen that will move our Visual Arts and Humanities division forward with integrity and fiscal responsibility. I'm very pleased that she's joined our organization."

An author and presenter who speaks on issues affecting the museum field, Harris has also served in leadership positions for several professional associations, including roles as secretary of the Kansas Museums Association (2005) and vice-president and conference chair for the Mountain-Plains Museums Association (2003-2005; 2005). She is also an active member of the American Association for State and Local History and the National Council on Public History.

Harris received both master's and bachelor's degrees in history from Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas.

The mission of Mid-America Arts Alliance is to enrich communities through cultural experiences. Founded in 1972, Mid-America Arts Alliance is a nonprofit regional arts organization based in Kansas City, Missouri. It is governed by a board of directors drawn from its partner states of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Major support is for Mid-America Arts Alliance is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, participant state arts agencies, and leading foundations and corporations. For further information, visit the Web site at www.maaa.org.

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