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Biography

Mary Salvante is a visual arts professional with over 30 years of experience as a curator and arts administrator. The focus of her practice is contemporary art program development and planning of interdisciplinary curatorial projects, public art installation programs, and artist in residence programs.

As Gallery Director at Rowan University Art Gallery, Mary transitioned it into one with regional impact through the curation of innovative contemporary art exhibitions and public programming with noted artists: Dread Scott, Mel Chin, Beverly Semmes, Joyce Kozloff, Brandon Ballengee, Julie Heffernan, Ebony Patterson, Federico Solmi, Jamea Richmond Edwards, Saya Woolfalk, Jeanne Silverthorne and others. She is the founder of the Center for Art and Social Engagement at Rowan where the permanent art collection is presented side by side with innovative community engagement projects that focus on social issues and advocacy.

Prior to Rowan Mary developed and created community-based programs including her NEA award winning work as founding director of the environmental art program at The Schuylkill Center. This program was the first of its kind in Philadelphia and introduced ecological art installations and artists in residence programs to the public. She co-founded Art In the Open Philadelphia, a bi-annual event that brings artists outside to work along the banks of the Schuylkill River in Fairmount Park. She also contributed to transitioning Philadelphia Open Studio Tours into an annual city-wide event and from a volunteer run event to one now managed and presented by The Center for Emerging Visual Artists. For her public arts management work with The Main Line Art Center, Mary received an Arts Management Excellence award from the Arts and Business Council of Philadelphia.

Originally from New York City, Mary was an associate with an art advisory firm where she provided curatorial, art-acquisitions, public art and site-specific commissions-management services to corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Mary is a co-founder of Creative Glassboro, an arts advisory committee for the town of Glassboro. She is also on the art advisory committee for The Center for Emerging Visual Artists and is a board member for Philadelphia Sculptors. She also held advisory positions with Art in City Hall, Inliquid, and The Main Line Art Center. She received her BFA degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, and a Master of Science degree in Arts Administration from Drexel University in Philadelphia.