Tacoma Art Museum recently added six new members to its Board of Trustees, which consists of thirty active Trustees, as well as Life, Emeritus, and non-resident Trustees who are arts patrons, corporate executives, and artists. Among the new trustees are Meri Arnett-Kremian, Shari Behnke, Kit Granum, Stuart Grover, Tanya Hammer, and Rebecca Stewart. Tacoma Art Museum board members serve a three-year term, and focus on three main areas: advocacy, policy, and fund-raising for the museum.
“We are proud to welcome these talented individuals as Tacoma Art Museum trustees,” said Board President Judith Nilan. “The museum is fortunate to gain such passionate and committed people who truly believe in the mission of Tacoma Art Museum and its impact on the lives of citizens in our community.”
Brief biographies of each new trustee are as follows:
Meri Arnett-Kremian — Meri is a Court Commissioner Pro Tempore for Pierce County Superior Court and attended the University of Maryland School of Law. Meri is a member of the Peninsula Art League and the Charles Wright Academy Parent Association. She was named “Member of the Year” by the Snohomish County Association of Washington Women Lawyers in 1992 and currently resides in Gig Harbor.
Shari Behnke — Shari and her husband John Behnke, of Seattle, are avid and knowledgeable collectors of contemporary art. Shari currently serves on the University of Washington Advisory Board for Nursing as well as on the Board of the Behnke Foundation, which grants the annual Neddy Artist Fellowship award.
Kit Granum — Kit is the daughter of Tacoma Art Museum Emeritus Trustee Mary Lund Davis and has been a supporter of the museum for many years. Kit graduated from Scripps College and has served on the Board of the Children’s Museum of Tacoma and Charles Wright Academy. Kit’s husband Doug Granum is a Northwest artist and they currently reside in Southworth.
Stuart Grover — Stuart is currently the President of Capital Campaign Consulting, Inc. and has been involved with Tacoma Art Museum on several occasions including the 1990 exhibition, Between Spring and Summer: Soviet Conceptual Art in the Era of Late Communism. Stuart also serves on the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee at Group Health and is a recipient of the Professional Achievement Award from the National Development Officer Association in 2004. Stuart’s wife Pamela Transue is the President of Tacoma Community College, and they reside in Tacoma.
Tanya Hammer — Tanya grew up in Portland, Oregon and currently works as a Pediatric Neurology RN at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and Health Center in Tacoma. Tanya has served on the Junior League of Tacoma Executive Board and is a mentor for the Merle Palmer Minority Scholarship Foundation. Tanya and her family reside in Tacoma.
Rebecca Stewart — Rebecca is a passionate international contemporary art collector and has donated almost twenty works of art to Tacoma Art Museum. Rebecca, who lives in Seattle, also serves on the Board of Trustees and the Contemporary Art Council of Seattle Art Museum.
