The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History has announced Ginger Shulick Porcella will be its new executive director starting Jan. 6.

According to the MAH, Porcella is a renowned arts leader, curator, fundraiser and author. She has been the executive director and chief curator at nonprofits and museums across the United States including Franconia Sculpture Park in Minnesota, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson, Arizona, and the Institute for Contemporary Art in San Diego.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the MAH in furthering their mission,” said Ginger Shulick Porcella in a statement. “To ignite shared experiences and unexpected connections, using art and history to build a stronger, more connected community. To be able to live and work in Santa Cruz alongside such a dedicated staff and board is truly a dream come true.”

Porcella plans to focus on elevating history and contemporary art while expanding the MAH’s influence through community driven exhibitions. She aims to create “a strong regional focus with a significant national impact.”

Porcella holds a Master of Arts in Socio-cultural Anthropology from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from DePaul University, and is founder/co-curator of the 4Ground: Midwest Land Art Biennial. She has curated critically acclaimed museum exhibitions such as Amir H. Fallah: Scatter my Ashes on Foreign Lands; Blessed Be: Mysticism, Spirituality and the Occult in Contemporary Art; and Dazzled: OMD, Memphis Design and Beyond. Her exhibitions have been positively reviewed in Frieze, The New York Times, and Hyperallergic and in 2015 she was named the “Voice of the Year” by the San Diego press for her visionary leadership in transforming the arts and cultural ecosystem of Southern California and Baja, Mexico.

“In all of her roles she has helped organizations acknowledge their past and create a roadmap to collectively move forward through radical listening and calculated risk-taking,” the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History said in a statement.

Addis names Woman of the Year

Assemblymember Dawn Addis recently named Kirsten Liske as 2024 Woman of the Year, recognizing her dedication to combating climate change and advancing environmental justice.

As vice president of Community Programs at Ecology Action, Addis said that Liske championed innovative solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promoted sustainable practices that benefit residents in both urban and rural areas. Her work has also secured funding for climate action projects throughout Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.

“Kirsten’s ability to bring people together for meaningful change and dedication to equity make her an inspiration in our community,” said Addis in a statement. “I am honored to have chosen her as this year’s 2024 Woman of the Year.”

Liske is one of seven distinguished diverse women across Assembly District 30 receiving recognition for their contributions to the region.

Meals on Wheels picks senior program director

Community Bridges recently announced the promotion of Dana Wagner as senior program director for Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County, marking a full-circle moment in her distinguished career in nutrition and community service.

Wagner, a registered dietitian, began her career in a skilled nursing facility in Maryland, where she utilized her clinical expertise to help older adults maintain healthy lives. After relocating to California, she joined Community Bridges as a supervising dietitian for its Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program in 2001. Over the next two decades, she rose to become the program’s director and served as the interim director of Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County beginning in March 2024. In September, she was officially named senior program director overseeing both programs, bringing her deep expertise in nutrition and passion for serving the community to the role.

“We are so fortunate to have local talent and statewide level leadership within the organization, with leaders such as Dana,” said Community Bridges CEO Raymon Cancino in a statement. “After an exhaustive search for the next leader facing significant challenges, we were able to easily see that we couldn’t get much better than using the talents of Dana to support the operations of Meals on Wheels of Santa Cruz County. With this move, we have streamlined administration and made a significant move toward organizational alignment that ensures cohesion across various nutritional programs.”