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Getting to Know the NMWA Programs & Events Team

June 10, 2021

You may be familiar with the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s annual Plein Air Fest, Etc. and Western Visions® Show & Sale, to name a few events, but who are the people behind-the-scenes making events come to fruition? Michelle Dickson, Director of Programs and Events, and Stefanie Nishio, Events Coordinator, are the new duo making it all happen. Dickson and Nishio both previously worked at Rocky Mountain Connections (RMC) and are a team once again at NMWA.

Michelle: In my first four years at RMC, I served as the Director of Operations, where I planned and executed luxury corporate events in five geographic destinations. During the next four years, I served as Corporate Director of Training and was responsible for the onboarding of all new sales and operations managers across the company. Stefanie and I first teamed up when she began supporting the Jackson office in 2019.

Michelle’s goal for this year is to emerge on the other side of Covid with a renewed sense of appreciation for what wildlife and art bring to the human spirit. So many arts-related institutions were forced to close down over the past year and it’s time to celebrate their return!

Stefanie: Prior to the Museum, I’ve worked in various hospitality positions such as supervising the Front Office of Hotel Terra and Teton Mountain Lodge as well as managing both of their spas. I then moved into my passion with events as the Sales and Operations Coordinator at RMC where I met Michelle and she trained me to succeed in my role. I was responsible for supporting the Jackson Hole Team on both the sales and operations side of corporate event programs that come into Jackson Hole.

Stefanie’s goal for this year in this new position is to contribute to an already successful team of great minds and exciting personalities. She looks forward to learning how to be the best possible ambassador between the art world, nature, and people. Alongside her role with Michelle, she is also assisting the Manager of Events, Wendy Merrick, with external events at the Museum.

Major events the team is working on:
First Sundays – First Sunday of every month, locals free admission
Plein Air Fest. Etc. – June 19, 2021
Western Visions® Show & Sale – September 16, 2021
Yoga on the Trail – Thursdays in July & August
National Geographic Top 50 Wildlife Photographers Opening Reception – November 5, 2021
Black Bear Ball – August 2022

“All of the events that Stefanie and I produce are accessible to the public. This allows us to foster a wonderful relationship between the Museum and people from every aspect of our community,” says Michelle. “The Museum is a very special place and we hope that through our events, people will be inspired to discover how they best connect to wildlife, nature and art in their own way.”

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