We offer art salons, traveling exhibitions, lectures and performances, classes for those
wanting to expand their art experience, and an annual Gala to serve our community.
Artists will benefit from our database of works open to curators and gallerists,
and a library of published works by Arizona artists.
Our ultimate goal is to provide a nationally recognized art museum focused on works by the artists of Arizona.
The Museum of Arizona Artists showcases and exhibits significant works of art made by Arizona artists,
provides educational programs to the community, and maintains a library and archives,
acting as a comprehensive venue for Arizona art and art history.
Dean served 2017-2021 at Scottsdale’s Museum of the West as Chief Advancement and External Affairs Officer, responsible as a member of the Management Team for fundraising and strategic planning efforts. Dean brings us his leadership experience and active engagement in non-profit volunteer work, arts advocacy, and fundraising.
Joel has pursued his career as a painter, sculptor and art educator for over 30 years in Arizona. His work is in the collections of the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, the AZ State University Art Museum, and at the Phoenix City Hall, where his mural Metroasis is permanently installed in the main hall.
Jerre Lynn has served the Arizona art community for over forty years. She established Art Salon Society, a fine art series for artists, collectors, and art lovers. She has served as director at Joy Tash Gallery, Vanier Galleries, and Cline Fine Art, and as President of Jerre Lynn Fine Art, LLC.
Philip is a certified financial planner, he works in the finance and wealth management space for the last 12 years. Originally from Wisconsin he completed his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin Madison. He moved to Arizona 3 years ago and is excited to bring his volunteer and nonprofit experience to the community.
Karen Churchill teaches Humanities and Communication courses at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Churchill did her doctoral studies in art history and museology at Case Western Reserve University and worked in the Department of Photography and Contemporary Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art. While there, she curated numerous exhibitions for the museum, published several articles and a book collaboration on the Museum’s photography collection, and was an Andrew Mellon Fellow. In addition, she has master’s degrees in art history, arts administration, and business administration from Arizona State University and Southern Methodist University, and a bachelor’s degree in English from Colgate University.
Jo-Ann studied at the Main College of Art and The Art Student’s League of New York. She won the Visual Art Fellowship in two-dimensional Media and an Artists Residency Grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts. Her work is in collections including Loyola Univ. Museum, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and McDonalds Corporate Collections worldwide.
An avid art collector, Karen has supported the arts throughout her life, including serving as an art museum docent, and as president of the Joslyn Art Museum Association in Omaha, Nebraska. She also served as a member of the Joslyn Art Museum Board, and as chairman of its Loan and Acquisition Committee.
Byron has been a professional photographer in the valley for over 20 years. His artistic expression has given him experience with many prominent subjects as his expertise is in the commercial and editorial field, working with many companies in several industries, as well as his work in numerous publications. He has a fond appreciation for art and fellow artists and understands the importance of connection with artists and with the viewing audience. Byron also brings his experience in working with non-profit organizations.
Joseph Benesh is a faculty member at Phoenix College, since 2022. Prior to that, he spent ten years as an Executive Director, at Phoenix Center for the Arts and then Arizona Citizens for the Arts.
Before returning to Arizona, he spent years in New York City where he managed the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center and received his Master’s from NYU. Leading off his study at NYU he spent a month in Brazil studying at the Center of the Theater of the Oppressed. Prior to New York, he was in Phoenix where he worked for ten years in arts management at Phoenix Theatre, Theater Works, and Stagebrush Theater, and received his Bachelor’s from ASU. In the 90’s and early 2000’s, he developed and lead community outreach programs in group homes, shelters, and community centers that serve inner city children.
In his personal life he advocates for equity and justice. He hopes people will continue to investigate the complete and history of this beautiful and complex country and state.