Whitney was involved in the performing arts since the first grade, so she leapt at the opportunity to attend Arizona School for the Arts. Whitney majored in vocal performance, minored in classical piano, and starred in a number of local and school musical theatre productions at the Herberger and the Orpheum. She graduated valedictorian of the charter class of ASA in 1998.
Whitney attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, on an academic scholarship. She continued to participate in vocal and piano recitals and star in musical theatre productions throughout her tenure at BYU, but Whitney’s focus turned to everything Latin. “I fell in love with the Spanish language, the Latin-American culture, the mystical realism of the literature, the visual arts with their vibrant colors and surrealistic life, the salsa music and dancing, the incredible Spanish Colonial architecture, the daily siestas and, of course, the food!” As part of her undergraduate studies, Whitney spent semesters abroad in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and Santiago, Dominican Republic, during which time she became fluent in speaking, writing and reading Spanish.
Whitney graduated from BYU in 2002 and returned home to Phoenix. She worked in the law helping valley attorneys with translations of documents for cross-border transactional work, international law, and a handful of pro-bono cases. Although Whitney adored working with the clientele and enjoyed the occasional business trips to Mexico City and Sonora, she found herself in front of a computer—and thus not interacting with people—far too much. She also felt that she was no longer growing or being challenged in her field. As such, Whitney made a life-changing decision in January 2007 when she accepted a position at Xanadu Gallery as Art Director. The transition was perfect, as Xanadu Gallery was moving from its location in the Shops at Gainey Village to its new home on Main Street in Old Town Scottsdale.
She loves what she does. “I was out with a friend, and he asked me what my dream job would be. After thinking for a moment, I replied, ‘I already have my dream job.’ I love what I do. It’s an incredible blessing to come to a gorgeous gallery every day, meet and interact with locals and people visiting sunny Scottsdale from all over the world, personally know talented and visionary artists, and assist people in creating their artistic ideal through Xanadu. What’s not to love?”
When she’s not at the Gallery, Whitney enjoys anything that involves the fine arts (visual and performing), playing the piano, singing, reading, and spending time with her shih-tzu and nieces and nephews. She’s a PADI-certified scuba diver, wishes she could go snow skiing more often, is currently studying French, and adores traveling and seeing the world.
