Jon Rosen, new Seattle Arts Commission Chair. Photo by Martin Genev.

We’re pleased to announce the recent appointments of three new members to the Seattle Arts Commission.

Mayor Mike McGinn appointed landscape architect and urban designer Jeff Benesi of Mithun. With more than 30 years of experience, Benesi’s portfolio covers a broad range of project types including housing authority redevelopment, parks and streetscape design and transit-oriented development.

 The Seattle City Council appointed public artist Perri Lynch and arts funding manager Huong Vu to the commission. In addition to her studio practice and public artworks, Lynch performs with the Seattle Phonographers Union. Vu manages the Pacific Northwest region’s arts, culture and civic grants portfolio for The Boeing Company and serves on the Grantmakers in the Arts board.

At its December meeting, the commission elected Jon Rosen to serve as commission chair in 2012. Rosen, in his second two-year term on the commission, is an employment lawyer in practice as The Rosen Law Firm. He serves on the boards of directors of the Seattle Symphony, Music of Remembrance and Jewish Family Services. The commission elected Fidelma McGinn to a second year as the commission’s vice chair. McGinn is vice president of philanthropic services at The Seattle Foundation.

The mayor also reappointed Dorothy H. Mann to the commission for a one-year term. Mann is an independent consultant in nonprofit governance and health policy and a community and arts activist. She chaired the commission from 2007 to 2010.

We’d like to thank outgoing commissioners Dan Corson, public artist; arts consultant Randy Engstrom; and landscape architect Deb Guenther. Corson served six years on the commission, was co-chair of the commission’s Public Art Advisory Committee in 2008, and served as chair of the committee from 2009 to 2011. Engstrom served six years on the commission, including one year as chair in 2010, and worked diligently on cultural space policy. Guenther was on the commission for two years and also served on its Public Art Advisory Committee.