New YIA Staff Member Morgan Schauffler
“I actually wrote and illustrated my own book in second grade,” Morgan recalls. She remembers her grandmother being so proud of her work that she sent laminated copies to all her friends.
Morgan carried her interest through her school years and went on to receive degrees in Art History and Human Communications at University of Denver, working in fine arts galleries while in school and after graduation. She spent a decade at the prestigious Paul Thiebaud Gallery in San Francisco, representing artists and working with collectors. When her son was born two years ago, she decided to take her arts interests in a new direction.
“I could see our local schools weren’t offering the arts classes I had as a child,” she explains. “I wanted to change that, to make a difference.”
Searching for how to make that difference brought Morgan to Youth in Arts, where she will now be putting her marketing and project management skills to work helping schools identify their arts needs and fill gaps in programming. With her extensive gallery experience, she will also support YIA Gallery at Youth in Arts, one of just a few in the U.S. dedicated to youth work. “I would love for more children and teen’s work to be seen and valued in the community,” she says.
In her free time, in addition to raising a bustling toddler, Morgan loves to visit museums, and she has her own collection of photographs acquired from her travels and paintings by artists she has represented. Although she does not consider herself an artist, she credits her arts experiences with building her creative and critical thinking skills. She believes all children need and deserve the arts in their lives.
“I want my son, and his peers–and all kids in Marin and the Bay Area–to have the opportunities I had,” says Morgan. “So working at a nonprofit dedicated to doing just that is a great fit for me.”
Come say hello to Morgan MWF 11-4 at Youth in Arts or contact her at 415-457-4878 ext. 160 or morgan@youthinarts.org.
