Mary Ann studied art at South Dakota State University and graduated from California State University Los Angeles.  She has also had the opportunity to study with such nationally acclaimed artists as Al Brouilette, Cheng-Khee Chee, Skip Lawrence, Stephen Quiller, Morton Solberg, Zoltan Szabo, Frank Webb and Ning Yeh.

Mary Ann is a past President of the Minnesota Artist Association and has served on the Board of Directors for the Northstar Watercolor Society.  She has also been a member of the Artists of Minnesota, Bloomington Art Center, Edina Art Center, Elk River Arts Association, Phipps Center for the Arts and the Minnesota Watercolor Society.