Redwood City – The County of San Mateo announced today that Aimee Shapiro will serve as the 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. She served as director of programming and engagement, working with artists, performers, students and the local community.
Now she 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 wide array of communities, backgrounds and cultures with incredible events, exhibitions, workshops, performances and cultural programming,” Shapiro said. “Art and culture should be accessible to everyone in San Mateo County and by creating a strong web of the arts in our area, we can create even stronger connections with each other.”
While the County sponsors several exhibition spaces, there is no principal museum or cultural exhibition hall in San Mateo County. Shapiro’s mission is to foster and champion local arts and cultural groups while addressing equity gaps in arts education and access.
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’s clear is that Aimee has a true passion for uplifting all communities by championing art and cultural exhibitions,” said County Executive Mike Callagy. “She has a great deal of experience working with schools, nonprofit organizations, local governments and, above all, artists. We look forward to her bringing her talents to San Mateo County.”
Shapiro grew up in New York City, developing a passion for art and a personal interest in drawing. She 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 field in Baltimore, New York, San Francisco and East Lansing, Mich., before joining the Anderson Collection at Stanford in 2014.
At Anderson, she helped to bring work by diverse artists to the public.
One of her top priorities of her new job will be helping to forge relationships among arts and cultural groups.
“My first goal is to listen,” Shapiro said. “I look forward to meeting constituents from across the county and learning what the arts and culture mean in their community and how they would like to see the Office of Arts and Culture support that. The diversity of our county means there’s a great diversity in needs, awareness, and accessibility..”
Shapiro lives in Montara with her wife, daughter and two dogs, Clyde and Birdie.
Michelle Durand
Chief Communications Officer
mdurand@smcgov.org