Throughout the University of Washington, units have created advisory boards as a method to provide strategic advice to the director or chair of the unit. The School of Art + Art History + Design is fortunate to have a robust and active advisory board whose purpose is to provide counsel to the director on issues that impact the School’s mission. The Advisory Board acts as a link between the School and the community, simultaneously promoting the School while providing valuable information from the broader community to the director and faculty leaders.
As an alumna, an adjunct faculty member, a parent of a School alumna, an employer of countless School grads, and a longtime participant in panels, search committees, etc., my 40-year continuing relationship with the School has been full of rewards. I see the School of Art + Art History + Design as one of our region's most important cultural assets and the Advisory Board is a wonderful vehicle for building connections between the School and its community.
— Anne Traver, Advisory Board chair, 2014-2018
The School’s Advisory Board is comprised of local artists, art historians, designers, and supporters of the arts and education in the arts. A number of members are alumni or have deep links to the School or the University as a whole. In addition to community members, the Board also includes faculty from all three divisions, staff, and student representatives who share their unique perspectives within the Board.
In 2016, the Advisory Board began plans to organize the Anne Focke Arts Leadership Award, a biennial dinner and celebration for an outstanding leader in art, art history, or design. As part of the Board’s mission, the event raises awareness of the School among the broader community, bringing new friends and supporters of the School into its folds. The event also acts as a fundraiser for critical needs within the School. The 2017 event raised funds for graduate student recruitment, while the 2019 event will support the Jacob Lawrence Gallery.