An American by birth and Genevan by choice, Anne-Shelton has spent decades immersed in the city’s art scene. Closely involved with MAMCO from its early years, she later created the VIP programme for Art Genève and is currently engaged with the Contemporary Art Center of Geneva, the Fondation pour Genève, the Swiss Institute of New York, and the Fluxus Project in London. She embodies a distinctly international Genevan profile: rooted, engaged, and quietly influential.

We meet at her home in Geneva. The collection reflects relationships and instinct rather than calculation. One piece immediately draws attention: a burka draped over a mannequin, assembled from a patchwork of national flags. It echoes recurring themes in her life—movement, identity, and layered belonging.

Her connection to art began in East Hampton, New York, surrounded by artists who were friends of her family. “What stayed with me,” she recalls, “was not a specific artwork, but the atmosphere.” Even as a child, she sensed her parents’ deep respect for creative people. “That feeling stayed.”

Frequent moves sharpened that sensitivity. “I went to twelve different schools,” she says. “You’re always starting over.” Reading became a refuge—a portable inner world. Art followed naturally. “Reading is internal. Art is visual, but it connects to the same place.”

Later, in Paris, her relationship with art deepened. As she furnished her first home, she found herself drawn to works that echoed her early memories of East Hampton—long before she understood why. She describes a “eureka moment” when she realised she was responding less to what was considered “great art” than to what felt personally resonant. From then on, collecting became an exploration: learning what truly speaks to her while moving through cultures, museums, and galleries.

Arriving in Geneva marked a turning point. “For the first time, I felt at home,” she says. “I could be international without feeling like an outsider.” In 2011, as a young mother, she joined MAMCO at a fragile moment in its history. Privately funded and facing uncertainty, the museum required sustained commitment. “For twelve years, I went to every meeting,” she says. “It was about persistence—trying again and again.”

MAMCO became her entry into Geneva’s broader cultural community. Comfortable in solution-driven groups, she was asked to develop the Circle, an association created to support acquisitions and strengthen member engagement. By structuring new membership categories, she helped shape an initiative that proved both distinctive and effective, thanks to collective effort.

Those years reinforced her belief that institutions are built slowly and collaboratively. The same principle guides her broader approach. “I believe in bringing people together,” she says. “Creating spaces for curious people to meet.”

Looking back, she describes her path as “jumping on the train when it comes by.” Rather than following a rigid plan, she accepted opportunities as they appeared—even when she did not yet feel fully prepared. Saying yes, then learning the role, mirrors her experience of moving countries: arrive, observe, adapt, and gradually find your place.

That openness also defines her advice to collectors. “Go into galleries. Ask questions. Show genuine interest.” Expertise is optional, she insists. Curiosity is essential. In a challenging climate for artists and galleries, her response is not urgency but presence—fostering conversations and connections beyond established circuits.

For Anne-Shelton, art is less about accumulation than about orientation—a way of understanding the world and one’s place within it. In Geneva, this translates into patience over visibility and continuity over noise.

Asked what she would suggest to someone new to the city, she smiles. “There’s more to do here than I’ll ever manage.” Her advice remains simple: stay curious. “Read. Go out. Sit somewhere, have a coffee, pay attention. It’s all there.”