Mara Hanel,
NWMAC Director
Mara (formerly Lunde and Wittman) has been the Executive Director of the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council forever. Yes, that long! She estimates that she knows 1,000+ wonderful artistic people who love to live in Northwest Minnesota, just like herself. She grew up in East Grand Forks and was very active in all the arts, including dance, drawing, trumpet, piano, singing, photography, fine craft, theater, and creative writing. For many years after graduating from college in Duluth, Mara combined Arts Administration with visual art and textiles with some choreography here and there.
Mara is happily married to a man who loves to be active in church with her, travels the world, parent, and works on art together in their spare time. Mosaics, stain glass, gardening and landscape design are current passions for them. “We thoroughly enjoy our blended family of seven plus a dog. Yes, we need that huge SUV that I drive around for our full family, as well as to move art displays. Love our lake time and get-aways for adventure… that often include theatre, a quiet walk through a museum, and observing top notch sports, and strolling outside… spontaneous, relaxed fun, barely any TV.”
The arts and service to others in the arts is part of every single day for Mara. Her art and the artistic expression of others is what makes her life so rich, and full of meaty topics for discussion. “Visual art, performing art, creative writing, they can all handle those hard topics. Art can create an amazing emotional response, transformative. It awes me with its expression of beauty. Enough said? Love my job working with artist and The Arts.”