Anne Marie MacDonaldDecember 3, 1942 - October 9, 2018Anne Marie MacDonald passed away on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, in her home in Sebastopol, CA. Anne lived courageously, defied conventions and pursued her passions with vigor. She was a true original. Her family meant the world to her and her generosity of spirit with family and friends alike was unmatched. She set the bar high for all who knew her— the energy she brought to everyday life inspired those around her to live life to the fullest.

Raised in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, she attended Academy of the Sacred Heart, Grosse Pointe High School, and received an MA from the University of Michigan before moving to California with her children in the 1970s.

She became well known for her dynamic role in the arts community in San Francisco during the 1980s and 1990s. After serving on the Board of the Detroit Institute of Arts and later the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, she founded and directed San Francisco Artspace, a nonprofit art gallery and video production facility. She also founded Artspace Books, a publishing house in San Francisco which later moved to New York.

San Francisco Artspace became a mecca for contemporary artists. Exhibitions featuring international and local artists attracted record crowds, and videos and films were produced in-house that garnered international awards. She published 20 books, many of which were collaborations between emerging artists and writers. Anne was known to generously provide for artists she believed in, sometimes even paying their rent. Over the years, she invited small groups of creative friends on adventures to Berlin, Florence, Buenos Aires, India and Cuba so they could experience one another and learn to appreciate other parts of the world.

Anne also started her own restaurant, Limbo, in SoMa, at which the proceeds supported Artspace. It naturally evolved into a favorite hangout for local Bay Area artists and every Wednesday, a different artist or curator would become the designated chef for the night.

The zest that she brought to the art community was matched equally by her affection for her family. In recent years she travelled the world with her devoted husband of nearly four decades Michael Penhallow. She is survived by her brothers, Bill and Sandy, who live in Michigan; daughter Bridget Twomey; sons Jim Manoogian and Richard Manoogian and five grandchildren; Will, Madeleine, Michaela, Whitney and Ben. And, she was always appreciative of her ongoing friendship and support of her former husband, Richard Manoogian of Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

Anne gifted so many people in her life with a wealth of extraordinary memories. She will be forever loved and greatly missed.

Should you be interested in acknowledging Anne's passing with a donation, in the true spirit of Anne, please consider supporting a local artist of your choice.