Kelly Linder has been appointed as the new director of Western Washington University's campus art gallery, starting in January. She has already contributed to the Department of Art & Art History Bachelor of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition and the faculty show, drawing on her extensive experience at university galleries at Chico State and Sacramento State, as well as commercial galleries in Santa Fe, New York, and San Francisco. Linder also ran her own alternative space called 'The Living Room' in San Francisco.
This appointment matters because it brings a seasoned curator and gallery director with over 30 years of experience to a university gallery, where she can shape programming and mentor students. Her background in both commercial and academic settings, along with her hands-on approach to exhibition design, signals a commitment to fostering strong relationships between faculty, students, and the broader art community at Western Washington University.