About / Staff

Artist Trust Staff

Margit Rankin

Executive Director, 206.467.8734 x12

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Margit is the chief executive officer of the organization, responsible for strategic and organizational direction, overseeing finances, daily operations, staff, programming and development activities. The former Executive Director of Seattle Arts & Lectures, she also served as Associate Director for the University of Washington’s Simpson Center for the Humanities. For over 15 years Margit has developed public arts and humanities programs in partnership with local arts organizations. She has served on community advisory boards for Seattle Art Museum, the Seattle Symphony, the Henry Art Gallery, the Bellevue Arts Museum, and Intiman Theatre, as well as on national advisory boards for the International Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes, the National Humanities Alliance, and Pew Charitable Trust’s Study for State-based Cultural Policy Initiatives. She has also taught literature courses at the college and secondary levels in the U.S. and abroad. Margit has a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Princeton University, a B.A. cum laude from Yale University, and completed Stanford Business School’s Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders.

Program Staff

Miguel Guillén

Program Manager, 206.467.8734 x11

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Miguel manages Artist Trust’s grant programs and provides assistance to artists through workshops and one-on-one appointments. Miguel has completed the Arts Management Certificate Program, has an Associate of Arts Degree from Seattle Central Community College and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle. He is a practicing visual artist.

Libby Gerber

Program Manager, 206.467.8734 x23

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Libby manages several programs in Artist Trust’s Creative Career Center. Coordinating workshops and training, she helps empower artists to take control of their careers. Libby is a practicing visual artist, showing work in both traditional gallery spaces as well as unconventional public locations. Before joining Artist Trust, Libby worked in arts administration and arts education at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Cal State Northridge, and T4T in Los Angeles. Libby holds a BA in Art History and Visual Arts from Occidental College in LA, and an MFA in Public Art and Sculpture from California State University, Northridge.

Samantha Shockley

Program Assistant, 206.467.8734 x10

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Sam comes to Artist Trust with a background in crafts specializing in woodworking and furniture design. She is currently restarting her adventures in art school by studying illustration at Cornish College of the Arts.

Laura Hoppenjans

Program Assistant, 206.467.8734 x11

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Before joining Artist Trust, Laura spent two years working with female artisans in Morocco. She has held positions locally at the Frye Art Museum and Traver Gallery, and is currently working on a Master’s degree at the University of Washington. She spends her free time exploring, cooking and working with metals. Laura earned BAs in Art History and Photography from Indiana University in 2006.

Development Staff

Sheila Siden

Director of Development, 206.467.8734 x17

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Sheila oversees development initiatives and manages foundation, corporate and government funding at Artist Trust, in addition to participating in outreach and marketing initiatives. Before joining Artist Trust, Sheila raised funds and developed audiences for culture and arts: Nikkei Heritage Association of Washington’s project to build a new Japanese Cultural and Community Center; Northwest African American Museum; and Gage Academy of Fine Art. Sheila came to arts and culture after 10 years in marketing management. She earned an MBA from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and a BA in French from San Francisco State University. Sheila is a board member of Unexpected Productions, former board member of the Northwest Development Officers Association and a visual artist.

Pat Bako

Donor Development Director, 206.467.8734 x18

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Pat manages major gifts and individual giving at Artist Trust, in addition to developing board and donor initiatives. Before joining Artist Trust, Pat raised funds and developed donor relations via her work for Pilchuck Glass School managing their annual art auction. She previously worked at Pratt Fine Arts Center as their Glass Department Manager and auction committee member. Pat came to arts development through being a practicing artist herself – she earned her BFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology and has taught classes and exhibited her sculptures and paintings internationally. Pat is committed to supporting individual artists through development and is a member of the Northwest Development Officers Association.

Stephanie Moore

Development Associate, 206.467.8734 x16

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Stephanie provides support for the Development Department and membership services. She stepped into this position at Artist Trust after a six-month internship. Before joining Artist Trust, Stephanie spent two years immersed in the local, sustainable food movement on the Olympic Peninsula and in Seattle. Stephanie comes to Artist Trust with a strong background in photography after studying in Los Angeles.

Administrative Staff

Lila Hurwitz

Communications Director, 206.467.8734 x13

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Lila manages Artist Trust’s media relations, marketing, outreach, and print and online materials, including the website, (re)Source e-newsletter and online social networking. Lila has worked in non-profit arts administration, including fundraising and event production, since 1987. She is Administrative Director, Co-Artistic Director and founding Board member of Dance Art Group, which produced the annual Seattle Festival of Dance Improvisation and other events from 1994-2011. She is also a professional dancer, graphic designer, and Feldenkrais® Practitioner.

Waverly Fitzgerald

Finances & Operations Manager, 206.467.8734 x15

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Waverly helps insure the smooth functioning of Artist Trust through her work as Finance and Operations Manager. She was the Finance Manager for Richard Hugo House for six years, and has provided financial support for Seattle Art Museum, Clarion West and Red and Black Books. Waverly is a writer (four historical novels published and one humorous mystery upcoming), the author of a non-fiction book, Slow Time, and a teacher of writing. She received an MA in Educational Psychology from Cal State University, Northridge and has taught for a variety of writing programs, including Artist Trust’s inaugural EDGE Professional Development Program for Writers.