March 3, 2026
SAN MARCOS, TX - The Wittliff Collections is proud to welcome Marise McDermott as its new Executive Director. "Marise brings vision, energy, and a profound commitment to preserving and celebrating the creative spirit of Texas, the Southwest and Mexico. I am thrilled for the future of the Wittliff Collections under her leadership," said co-founder Sally Wittliff.
McDermott joins The Wittliff Collections following a celebrated twenty-year tenure as President & CEO of the Witte Museum, where she led a remarkable $120 million transformation that expanded galleries, archives, and research centers and helped spark a thriving cultural renaissance along San Antonio’s Broadway Cultural Corridor. Under her leadership, millions of visitors engaged with state-of-the-art exhibitions, multidisciplinary programming, and immersive experiences rooted in the stories of land, sky, water, and the deep history of Texas.
Beyond the Witte, she has shaped national museum standards as Chair of the Accreditation Commission of the American Alliance of Museums. Her experience includes a blend of scholarship, storytelling, fundraising excellence, and community building. McDermott has published and overseen numerous award-winning books, and advanced public humanities through decades of exhibitions, symposia, and cultural collaborations. She has also secured competitive federal grants through the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, demonstratingher longstanding effectiveness in expanding access to collections and cultural knowledge.
“Marise McDermott is the most qualified, the most connected, and the most dynamic leader to join The Wittiff Collections. Her proven record of converting vision to reality will ensure that the Wittliff Collections finally realizes its promise to become the premier cultural center of the Southwest, Texas, and Mexico,” said Wittliff Advisory Council Chairman Sam Pfiester.
McDermott has a profound personal connection to the mission of The Wittliff Collections. As a writer, editor, and humanities leader, she spent her career championing the very voices housed within the Wittliff’s archives. Her own graduate study at Texas State University, where she earned an MFA in Writing, deepened her passion for the cultural narratives of the Southwest and Mexico. McDermott’s connection to Texas State has remained strong throughout her career, and in 2016, McDermott was chosen as Texas State University’s Liberal Arts Alumni of the year.
As Executive Director, McDermott will guide The Wittliff Collections into an exciting era of growth by expanding access to the archives, elevating the collection’s national profile, and leading the capital campaign for a new Wittliff Center.
About The Wittliff Collections
The Wittliff Collections are dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the cultural legacy of the Southwest’s literary, photographic and musical arts, and to fostering the region’s “Spirit of Place” in the wider world. The Wittliff hosts readings, artist talks, lectures, and other events; presents major exhibitions year-round from its holdings; and makes its collections available to statewide, national, and international researchers.
Visitors, tours, and classes are welcome. Admission is free.
Online: http://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thewittliffcollections
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