Joanna Sikes named Museum of Northwest Art executive director

Joanna Sikes was named executive director of the Museum of Northwest Art by its board of trustees on Sept.1. She drops the “interim” from her title while continuing the work she has been doing since her April hire. In a phone interview, she said, “the fabric of the museum is in a robust state. We have new people coming on that are well qualified for their positions. The education program is up to speed.”

The museum has hired Ellie Cross to be its education director. She began the end of August. Maggie Paul is the new associate registrar, starting this week.

Sikes started 10 weeks before MoNA’s annual auction, which returned to La Conner after two years at the Swinomish Casino. The auction exceeded its goals, netting over $200,000.

Sikes stressed the strength of community support for the museum, noting the auction “showed how strong the community support was and is to the future success of the museum.”

In turn, she said, “the board is very committed to building a very strong future for the museum. They felt that we were working well together. It was time to remove the interim title to show the board and the staff and the community that the museum was moving in the right direction.”

Sikes praised the existing staff as well and said good working relationships were critical: “The biggest thing accomplished in the last several months is new leadership and the new board.”

The museum’s news release states “Sikes has proven her ability to lead the Museum onto a sustainable course. With over 25 years as a seasoned museum professional, her skills as a director, curator, teacher and artist will assure the Museum’s ability to maintain and build a secure future.”

She has a long career in Washington arts including positions at Museum of Glass in Tacoma, the Dale Chihuly Studio in Seattle, the Seattle Art Museum, and at the Port of Seattle (SEATAC).

She was called one of Dale Chihuly’s “chief aides” in a 1996 Seattle Times article.

In 2012 the Museum of Glass in Tacoma named Sikes its director of external affairs.

The Museum’s website stated that “Sikes worked for more than 20 years at Chihuly Studio in the roles of studio manager, marketing/client relations and director of special projects.” Sikes’ career, summed up at the Museum of Glass website, includes positions at the “Phoenix Fine Arts Museum the Crocker Museum of Art and the American Federation of Arts … and project manager for Donald Lipski.

Not on her resume are her stints singing backup to Santana and Janis Joplin or that she has long played polo. She will not play in this weekend’s pretty women polo tournament at George Dill’s Farms, but she said, “I am going to be watching it. I will go out and root for all the girls. It’s going to be great.”

Sikes replaced Christopher Shainin, who resigned under pressure from people in the local arts community. Shainin’s last day was March 31.