What She Said – Women in Art

W San Francisco proudly presents the annual What She Said event on Thursday, May 8th celebrating strong female leaders in the Art. Join W San Francisco on Thursday, May 8th for What She Said, Women in Art – an evening for cocktails and conversation to inspire, connect, and learn from fearless leaders in the Art industry.

Originating at W San Francisco with its launch in 2016, What She Said is a W Hotels & Resorts branded series featuring conversations among women that celebrate individuality, inclusivity, and honesty, tackling the issues of today from work, love, play and everything in between. The platform, which has since been adopted by W hotels worldwide, offers a safe space to drive progress in the gender equality movement and cultivate community with open conversations that inspire, educate, and enlighten.

Your ticket includes entry to the panel discussion, a complimentary beverage, light bites, a curated gift bag, and an experience to connect and network.

MODERATOR

Sarah Walsh, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Design Management for Global Design Luxury Brands at Marriott International in New York. She is a licensed architect with a background in hospitality, high-end residential, and arts, culture, and fashion week projects. Walsh earned her degrees from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and Écoles d’Art Américanes de Fontainebleau in France. After a decade in New York working with multidisciplinary Artist and Lighting Designer Joel Fitzpatrick and Architect and Furniture Designer Chandler Pierce, she moved to Washington, DC where she gained international hospitality experience at Gensler and later joined Marriott International’s Global Design Luxury Team, focusing on EDITION and W Hotels. After nearly a decade, she returned to New York in 2023.

Mary W.D. Graham is a Philadelphia born, San Francisco based artist whose work in painting, sculpture, and performance studies the notion of “the ancestors” as a conceptual medium through which we might gain historical, interpersonal, and introspective insight. Graham attended California College of the Arts where she received her BFA in Individualized Studies in 2022. In 2024, she opened her first solo exhibition at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco as part of their Emerging Artists Program. She has exhibited, collaborated, and performed at esteemed museums and institutes in New York, Philadelphia, and California, and has been awarded residencies at Anderson Ranch in Snowmass, Colorado, Your Mood Projects in San Francisco, Haystack Mountain School of Craft in Deer Isle, Maine, and Black Residency in San Francisco. She has lectured at UC Berkeley, the University of San Francisco and will lecture at San Jose State University in 2025.

Alison Gass is the Founding Director and Chief Curator of ICA San Francisco (ICA SF). Her leadership in museums has reflected a sustained commitment to building globally minded and community engaged exhibitions and diversifying collections, exhibition programs, staff, and visitorship. Gass was appointed the Dana Feitler Director of the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago where she launched the Feitler Center for Academic Engagement. Previously, she was the Chief Curator at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, and an assistant curator at SFMOMA. Gass then served as Founding Chief Curator at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University, where she helped launch the new building, recruited staff, and established a global contemporary art program. She holds degrees in Art History from Columbia University and the Institute of Fine Arts at NYU. The ICA SF has relocated from the Dogpatch district to The Cube, a landmark building in the heart of downtown where, in collaboration with Vornado Realty Trust, the museum is leveraging the distinctive architecture to push the boundaries of contemporary art experiences.

As Partner and President of the Americas for HBA, Meghann Day oversees the operations and strategic direction of five regional offices—San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, and New York—while supporting Partner Brands across the United States. With more than 18 years at HBA, she has played a pivotal role in expanding the firm’s presence and influence throughout the Americas. Meghann brings a unique blend of design expertise and business acumen, backed by a degree in Interior Design and Business Administration from Kansas State University and a global portfolio of high-profile hotel and resort projects. Her leadership is instrumental in guiding the senior team into a new era of growth and innovation. A passionate traveler and lifelong learner, Meghann’s international experiences continue to shape her strong sense of design and style.

PANELISTS

Michelle Delaney has been a driving force in San Francisco’s art and leisure scene for decades, helping to shape the city’s creative landscape through her work at 111 Minna Gallery and beyond. She arrived in San Francisco in 2000 as a Motion Picture and Television student at the Academy of Art. She has since become an integral part of the local creative community, working her way up from bartender to Managing Partner at 111 Minna, where she has cultivated a dynamic space that supports artists, musicians, and community-driven events. A champion of what she and local artists have coined “urban contemporary” art, Delaney’s work provides a platform for creatives to thrive. Her curatorial vision is deeply informed by her own creative background, including her time as a founding member of the all-female punk band The Departed. Beyond the gallery, Delaney actively supports artists citywide through her work with the Presidio Theatre and serves on the Yerba Buena Marketing Committee, SF Travel Marketing Committee, Chamber of Commerce, and Police Advisory Council.

JD Beltran is the Founder and Director of the Center for Creative Sustainability in San Francisco, a consultancy forging innovative collaborations and creative solutions to support artists and the arts economy. Beltran has been an impact and cultural leader for more than twenty years, advancing groundbreaking solutions and infrastructural initiatives that address cultural, social, environmental, and economic challenges. First appointed by former mayor, now California Governor Gavin Newsom, Beltran has served on the San Francisco Arts Commission for more than 15 years and served as Commission President for 8 years. An international award-winning artist, filmmaker, and writer, Beltran also is a professor in Art, Design, and Technology, having taught at her alma mater – the San Francisco Art Institute, as well as California College of the Arts (CCA) and San Francisco State University. An award-winning writer and journalist, Beltran has penned columns on art and culture for SFGate.com, Alta Journal, the Huffington Post, and numerous other publications.