Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - Marian Maciej-Hiner, director of Continuing Education at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was recently elected to the Board of Directors of Arts Wisconsin, the state's arts service, advocacy and development organization. Maciej-Hiner will serve a two-year term on the 15-member board, which is responsible for policy-making and resource development for the membership organization. Board members come from large and small communities around the state, represent a diverse range of interests and disciplines and are committed to the mission of Arts Wisconsin - to advocate, promote and speak up for the arts in Wisconsin so that everyone in the state can experience, enjoy and learn from the arts. "We're thrilled that Marian has agreed to join Arts Wisconsin's board of directors," says Anne Katz, Arts Wisconsin executive director. "Her commitment to UW-Platteville's ArtsBuild project has helped make it a successful model of grassroots cultural development, and she brings a deep understanding of the arts and community to our statewide organization."

Arts Wisconsin, along with the Wisconsin Arts Board, is an active partner in the ArtsBuild program launched by UW-Platteville's Office of Continuing Education in 2004, with funding from UW-Extension's Continuing EDvantage economic development grant program. ArtsBuild provides education and training, access to statewide resources, and increased visibility and promotion of southwestern Wisconsin artists and creative entrepreneurs. "Arts Wisconsin has been a strong supporter of our ArtsBuild project from the beginning. Anne Katz opened many doors for us, and connected us with local, regional and statewide resources for area arts entrepreneurs," Maciej-Hiner pointed out. "It is a privilege to be part of the work of this organization - keeping the arts alive and thriving in communities throughout Wisconsin."

Dawn Drake, executive director of Alternative Delivery Systems at UWP, added, "I'm thrilled that Marian has been elected to the Arts Wisconsin board of directors. This will continue to solidify the commitment and connections that are needed to promote the importance of the arts and the success of ArtsBuild in Southwest Wisconsin and beyond." Arts Wisconsin believes that the arts are essential to Wisconsin's economic, educational and civic high standards and continued growth, and that the arts, culture, creativity and innovation are at the core of the quality of life in Wisconsin and all of its communities. The board and staff of Arts Wisconsin carry out the organization's purpose to serve Wisconsin's creative community and build and sustain grassroots and statewide efforts to enliven and invigorate all of the state's communities through the arts. They accomplish this through advocacy, promotion and visibility, research, professional development and training, and networking.

Maciej-Hiner received her undergraduate degree in local and urban studies from St. Cloud State University, Minnesota, in 1979 and earned her Master of Science in continuing and vocational education from UW-Madison in 1992. She worked in program coordination and marketing at UW-Madison in the Department of Communication Programs for nine years and then relocated to Southwest Wisconsin to take a position in continuing education at UWP. Her husband, Jim, is a retired educator and arts entrepreneur, and their son, Mark, is a senior at UWP, majoring in biochemistry and mathematics.

Anyone interested in learning more about ArtsBuild may visit the website atwww.uwplatt.edu/cont_ed/artsbuild/. Anyone interested in more information on Arts Wisconsin may contact Katz at (608) 255-8316 orakatz@artswisconsin.org, or visit the website at www.artswisconsin.org

Contact: Marian Maciej-Hiner, director, Continuing Education, (608) 342-1302,maciejhm@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Kate McKinney, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, mckinnka@uwplatt.edu