MATTRESS FACTORY ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFFâ¨

PITTSBURGH, PA (Feb. 1, 2013) – The Mattress Factory is pleased to announce the addition of four members to its board of directors—Mary-Lou Arscott, Sharon Semenza, John Verbanic and Jake Witherell—as well as the appointment of Mandy Young as the new Marketing Manager. Arscott, Witherell and Verbanic joined the board in 2012. Semenza and Young arrived January 2013.

Arscott, a British architect who has been involved in design-centered architectural practice and radical construction initiatives since the 1970s, brings experience overlapping ideas across the fields of art and architecture, both as an architect or by assisting artists as a designer and maker. Arscott has lived in Pittsburgh since 2007 and has been a studio instructor in the architecture program at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2012 she curated the Mattress Factory exhibition “Intimate Friction,” as part of the “Gestures” series.

“I see the Mattress Factory is a dynamic and effective force on so many levels,” says Arscott. “As a new board member I want to contribute to its continuing transformation of lives, of spaces and of our conception of the possible.”

Semenza holds a degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and has worked in New York City, London, Hong Kong and Sydney as a special counsel in international corporate finance, as well as counsel for Citigroup and for PNC’s Capital Markets Group. Semenza serves on the Board of Trustees of The Winchester Thurston School and is a member of the Individual Gifts Committee of the Carnegie Museums and the Events Committee of The Autumn House Press. Semenza has also sat on various non-profit boards, including Women’s Health Services, The Rebecca Residence, The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, The Falk School Board and The Neighborhood Academy.

“When I think ‘Mattress Factory’ I think cutting-edge, game-changing, experimental, hip, fun,” says Semenza. “Who wouldn't want to be a part of that kind of organization?”

Verbanic is an Account Director for CA Technologies, Inc., and has held positions at Hewlett-Packard and BNY Mellon. Also serving on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross of Southwestern Pennsylvania and the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Pennsylvania, he seeks to parley his experience in the strategic role of information technology in the financial services world to those needs of organizations. Verbanic holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Potsdam State University, and has completed graduate studies at Syracuse University, University of Rochester and Cornell University.

“It is truly a pleasure to watch the Mattress Factory continue to grow as a critical part of the cultural and educational heritage of Pittsburgh,” says Verbanic. “To now be a part of the mission is even more of a delight.”

Jake Witherell is Chief Operating Officer of Schell Games, a privately-owned, full service game design studio. Witherell has over 15 years of experience in founding, managing, advising, and investing in companies within the high technology, telecommunications, retail, and business services industries. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Tufts University and an Master of Business Administration from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. Witherell also earned a certification from the Entrepreneurial Management Program at Carnegie Mellon University.

“It is vital for a diverse society to have people and institutions that push the boundaries,” says Witherell. “As a contemporary art museum, the Mattress Factory has been doing that for 35 years and I am excited to help in the continuation of that effort.”

Mandy Young joins the Mattress Factory after eight years as a publicist at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC, where she focused on media relations and public outreach. Most recently Young spearheaded promotional efforts for the 40th anniversary celebration of the American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery. Young earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art and Art History from Bucknell University in 2002, and an Master of Science in Arts Administration from Shenandoah University in 2005. Previous to her education she held positions at galleries and theaters in her childhood home of Lancaster, PA, developing an appreciation for the visual and performing arts.

“I am honored to join the dynamic team at the Mattress Factory and to be part of the museum’s impressive 35-year legacy,” says Young. “The incredible vision of the co-directors to provide artists opportunities to create, as well as their commitment to neighborhood development is inspiring, worthy of attention and clinched my decision to come to Pittsburgh.”

"We are thrilled to have so many new faces here as we turn our focus to celebrating the museum’s 35th year," says Barbara Luderowski, the founder and Co-Director of the Mattress Factory, "Mary-Lou, Sharon, John and Jake bring myriad perspectives that will help steer the museum into its next phase, and Mandy has a refreshed vision for how we can expand our visibility not only locally, but also nationally and internationally.”

More information about the Mattress Factory’s board of directors and staff can be found at http://mattress.org.

About the Mattress Factory
The Mattress Factory is a museum of contemporary art that presents “art you can get in to” – room-sized environments, created by in–residence artists. Located in the historic Mexican War Streets neighborhood of Pittsburgh’s North Side since 1977, the Mattress Factory is hailed as the best facility for installation art in the United States.

The Mattress Factory acknowledges the support of Allegheny Regional Asset District, the Benter Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, the Roy A. Hunt Foundation, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Mattress Factory members.

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MATTRESS FACTORY ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFFâ¨

MATTRESS FACTORY ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFFâ¨