Staff and Advisory Council

Since 2000, Auer has been with the University of Florida Performing Arts. During this time, she expanded community engagement programs, developed performance management and patron-focused operation and retention systems, produced numerous special events and participated in strategic plan development and implementation for the university. Through her work with boards of directors, community leaders and major donors, she matched passions with projects and programs to strengthen the arts at UF and within the local community.

Auer has served as a presenter and panelist for numerous regional and national arts organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, the International Society for the Performing Arts and South Arts Performing Arts Exchange. She has held leadership positions with numerous organizations dedicated to cultural exchange, including the Arts Presenters Inaugural Leadership Development Initiative and has led Center Stage Cultural Diplomacy site visits and interviews. She has also presented for numerous organizations on topics related to the arts in medicine and health care, and serves as a team member with the Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases.

Auer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre from Louisiana State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre management from Florida State University.

Mary Anne Redding is a visual arts curator and writer and serves as the curator of the Turchin Center. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from Ohio University, an M.A. in Arts Administration from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, an M.L.S. from the University of Illinois, Champaign Urbana, as well as an advanced certificate in Museum Studies from Arizona State University. She has written and published numerous essays on photography and contemporary art. Before taking her most recent post as the Curator at the Turchin Center, Redding was the Curator at the Sioux City Art Center in Sioux City, Iowa, for 13 months. Redding previously served for nearly 6 years as the Curator at the Turchin Center. Past positions include working as the Curator of the Marion Center for Photographic Arts and the Chair of the Photography Department at Santa Fe University of Art & Design, and as the Curator of Photography for the Palace of the Governors/New Mexico History Museum. Redding has more than forty years’ experience working as a curator, archivist, librarian, educator, and arts administrator. Her publications include A Country No More: Rediscovering the Landscapes of John James Audubon with photographer Krista Elrick (2021); Gila: Radical Visions/The Enduring Silence with photographer Michael Berman (2012); the introduction for Light in the Desert: Photographs from the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, photographs by Tony O’Brien and an essay by Christopher Merrill (2011); Through the Lens: Creating Santa Fe (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2009); and, Grasslands/Separating Species an exhibition catalog for 516 ARTS in Albuquerque, New Mexico; as well as an essay in Land/Art New Mexico, published by Radius Press in 2010.

Christy has a passion for arts and learning. Since 2012, she has facilitated education programs for the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, including the APPlause! K-12 Performing Arts Series. Influenced at an early age by arts education, Christy pursued a vocation that promotes learning in and through the arts and connecting university arts resources to community members of all ages. She works closely with university faculty and staff, community organizations, and the network of public, private and home-schools across a ten-county region. Christy has held positions in public schools and arts organizations. She has a B.S. in theatre arts education and an M.A. in arts administration.

After several years of leading the TCVA Open Studio workshops and photographing gallery events, shauna (she/her) joined the full-time staff in 2019. shauna is an artist, educator, curator, and scholar who uses multimedia and photographic processes to honor land, familial connections, sacred relationships, and transformation. Through her work, she explores collaborative opportunities for the expansion of Appalachian placemaking through the arts and loving community. She received BFAs in both Studio Art and Art Education, an MA in Appalachian Studies, and an advanced graduate certificate in Non-profit Administration at Appalachian State University.

Since moving to the High Country in 2009, Lindsay has spent over a decade in the nonprofit sector and has developed a strong passion for giving back to the community. She is responsible for securing gifts to the Turchin Center that help sustain its programs, recognizing these valued gifts, connecting with members to fully engage them in the work of the center and interfacing with organizations that collaborate with center. She volunteers her time with nonprofits focusing on education, land conservation and human services, and is passionate about philanthropy that helps to connect people to causes that matter to them. Lindsay holds a B.S in communications with a minor in marketing.

Seth Perry joined the Turchin Center staff in October 2023. An alum of the studio art program at Appalachian State, Seth was a Gallery Ambassador at the Turchin Center and a Gallery Assistant at the Smith Gallery during their time as a student. After graduating, Seth worked nearby at the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum prior to their return to the Turchin Center. As Curatorial Assistant, Seth works closely with the rest of the curatorial team to maintain and advance the Turchin Center’s exhibitions.

Lisa joined the Turchin team in December 2022. As the Budget Manager, Lisa assists and works closely with The Associate Director, Karen Trefz, developing and managing budgets for both the Turchin Center and Office of Arts and Cultural Programs. She is responsible for budget/fund and procurement card reconciliations, financial reports, disbursements, purchasing and contracts. Lisa is pleased and compassionate to be part of the Turchin Center Team.

Hannah joined the Arts Engagement team in June 2021. In August 2023 she joined the Division of Advancement as the Leadership Annual Gifts Officer for the Turchin Center, Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, and the Hayes School of Music. Prior to her employment at Appalachian, she was a student here, and received her BA in sociocultural anthropology with minors in sustainable development & experiential and integrative learning in 2021. Hannah is currently enrolled in the Non Profit Administration graduate certificate program, here at Appalachian.

Melinda joined Appalachian State University in the fall of 2016 and in addition to her position at the Turchin Center, she also serves as director of development for the Office of Arts and Cultural Programs and the Hayes School of Music. Prior to her arrival at Appalachian State, she served as the director of alumni relations at Valdosta State University, and as the director of development at Thomas University, in Thomasville, GA. Melinda is a graduate of Valdosta State University and Andrew College, where she majored in sociology with a double minor in criminal justice and biology.