The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University has named Marise McDermott as its new executive director. She brings with her an extraordinary record of leadership, strategic vision, and deep devotion to the cultural heritage of Texas, the Southwest and Mexico.
McDermott joins The Wittliff Collections following a celebrated 20‑year tenure as president and CEO of the Witte Museum in San Antonio, 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 directed major capital campaigns, raised transformative philanthropic support, 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, demonstrating her longstanding effectiveness in expanding access to collections and cultural knowledge.
McDermott also has a profound personal connection to the mission of The Wittliff Collections. As a writer, editor and humanities leader, she has spent her career championing the very voices housed within the TXST archives. Her own graduate study at TXST, where she earned an MFA in creative writing, deepened her passion for the cultural narratives of the Southwest and Mexico. McDermott’s connection to TXST has remained strong throughout her career and in 2016 McDermott was chosen as TXST’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 and public programming that will shape its future.
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.
For more information visit thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/ of follow The Wittliff Collections on Facebook at facebook.com/thewittliffcollections