MICHELLE MARIANO joined ArtWorks for Freedom with fifteen years of leadership experience in the nonprofit arts sector including with organizations such as Houston Grand Opera, the Alliance for Arts and Health, and La Sociedad para las Artes. In addition to her role as executive director, she is faculty at Maryland Institute College of Art, where her teaching practice emphasizes the connections between creative expression and social change. Michelle holds a PhD in literature and creative writing from the University of Houston. She lives in Baltimore with her family.