ARTS COUNCIL ELECTS NEW BOARD MEMBER

The Sarasota County Arts Council is pleased to announce that Mary Bensel, executive director of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, has been elected to serve on its board of directors.

Mary joined the Van Wezel in December of 2007 after spending several seasons as director of touring and sales for Troika Entertainment based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. While there she directed the booking of such Broadway tours as: Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Movin' Out, Chicago, and Evita.

Prior to that Mary spent ten years as general manager of the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Ft Myers, FL. Under Mary’s leadership sponsors grew from $30,000 to over $300,000, subscribers, groups and shows increased dramatically.

Prior to coming to Florida Mary spent fifteen years in Philadelphia as general manager for the Walnut Street Theatre and the Merriam (former Shubert) Theatre. She received her BA from Mansfield University in Speech, Theatre and English and her MA from the University of Pittsburgh in Acting and Directing. Mary was a founding member of the Pittsburgh Public Theatre and served as Marketing Director/Press Agent for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the Arizona Theatre Company, and Stage West.

Click here to learn more about the Sarasota County Arts Council's Board of Directors.