Educator takes the helm of North Columbia Schoolhouse Cultural Center

Shana Maiarz

“We really want to branch out to Nevada City and Grass Valley. We want to see more people come to the Ridge. We have world-class artists and musicians here and this is an amazing space.” - Executive Director Shana Maiarz

By Pat Butler

Nevada City Advocate

The North Columbia Schoolhouse Cultural Center heads into its annual membership drive with a new executive director who has a background in teaching, art and non-profit management.

 Shana Maiarz, meanwhile, says she has a dream job at this point in her life.

  “It’s the beating heart of this rural community,” she says. “I want to be part of this and live on the Ridge.”

  Maiarz has lived on the San Juan Ridge for several years. She started her new job in October, replacing Samantha Hinrichs, and dives right into a membership drive.

   Mairaz said the NCSCC has around 350 members and a vast potential for growth.

  “We really want to branch out to Nevada City and Grass Valley. We want to see more people come to the Ridge,” she said. “We have world-class artists and musicians here and this is an amazing space.”

  The new executive director brings an impressive resume to the job. She has a Masters in Education from Harvard, worked as a director for a non-profit wilderness program for girls and women, and taught at several levels.

 Mairaz also worked for five years as the principal for the Woolman Semester Institute, a rural Nevada City school that is sponsored by the Quakers and offers a 16-week program that is attended by high school students from across the nation.

  For the past year, she has worked as a farmer and laborer for Mountain Bounty Farm on the San Juan Ridge.

  The Los Angeles native first moved to Nevada County while in high school. She said her experience and love of the area makes her a good fit for the cultural center on Tyler Foote Road.

  “I have worked in non-profits for the last decade,” Maiarz said. “I grew up in a family of artists, and our family business is an art supply store. So, I've spent lots of time surrounded by artists and see art as necessary to human life.”

Looking ahead

The North Columbia Schoolhouse Cultural Center is located at 17894 Tyler Foote Road, which is north of Nevada City. Here’s a list of events scheduled there in November and December. For more information, call 530- 265-2826.

2 to 6 p.m. Nov. 14: Art Opening with Ralph Henson and Molly Jochum.

6 p.m. Nov. 15: Fall Harvest Grill, which is a fundraising dinner for the Schoolhouse.  RSVP by Nov. 9.

7 p.m. Nov. 20: Temple Dance Festival, an evening of devotional dance and music.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 21: Temple Dance Festival with sacred dance workshops.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 5-6: Holiday Craft Faire with handmade crafts from local artisans.