Body of News Release
San Rafael, CA — The Marin County Department of Cultural Services and Marin Cultural Association (MCA) are pleased to announce the appointment of Tracy Bays-Boothe as Managing Director of the Marin Cultural Association.
The new position within the Department of Cultural Services will lead Marin Cultural Association and enable MCA to serve as the Arts Council for Marin County. Bays-Boothe, who starts in the role July 22, will report to the Director of Cultural Services & the Executive Director of Marin Cultural Association, Gabriella Calicchio. Bays-Boothe will work with the MCA Board of Directors, artists, arts organizations, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to plan, administer, and promote a variety of countywide arts programs and services.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Tracy to our team and look forward to partnering with her to expand the services of Marin Cultural Association,” Calicchio said. “Tracy’s vast experience in the arts and arts education field makes her the perfect fit for this position.”
For over 25 years, Bays-Boothe has been an arts advocate and nonprofit arts leader in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. She has held leadership positions at the Museum of Craft and Design, Dallas Museum of Art, Crow Museum of Asian Art, and served as the Executive Director of the Greater Denton Arts Council, representing 40 arts nonprofits across North Texas.
Most recently, Bays-Boothe was the Executive Director of DrawBridge, a free expressive arts program for children in shelters, affordable housing facilities, and community centers across seven Bay Area counties. Bays-Boothe earned her M.A. in Arts Education as an Edward and Betty Marcus Foundation Fellow from the University of North Texas and holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in art history.
“I am honored to be joining the incredible team at Marin Cultural Association during this exciting time of growth and change,” Bays-Boothe said. “I look forward to partnering with and supporting Marin County’s talented artists and arts organizations across the community.”
About the Marin Cultural Association
The Marin Cultural Association’s mission is to support art and culture in Marin County including the programs and facilities at the Marin Center and Marin County Fair. MCA was founded in 2015 with the goal of expanding the role of the Department of Cultural Services to have a meaningful impact on the artists and arts organizations in Marin County. In 2019, the County of Marin Board of Supervisors adopted the Countywide Art and Culture Plan. The plan has served as a roadmap for MCA and for the Department.
Marin is home to an equal number of artists per capita as Los Angeles County. The prior Marin Arts Council was dissolved in October 2012 and Marin has been without dedicated support for the arts since. Marin Cultural Association is the Board of Supervisors designated State/Local Partner with the California Arts Council and has supported a thriving arts community by offering a cultural hub and gathering space at the Marin Center and providing leadership in building support for the arts throughout the County. Programming and initiatives include arts advocacy, convenings, field wide trainings on equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, oversight of three visual art galleries, arts education programming in Title 1 schools, Re-Granting Programs, Poetry Out Loud, general support for artists and arts organizations in Marin County, and more.